Revelations
by winchester29
Summary: Driving down the empty highway just after midnight, a phone begins to ring in the glove box of the Impala. The conversation leads the brothers to secrets uncovered from behind the grave, and signifies that Sam and Dean were not the only family Bobby Singer had after all. First attempt at fanfic. chapters all follow one another. (previously called New Discoveries) Thanks!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Driving down the empty highway just after midnight, both Sam and Dean were exhausted after their challenging encounter with a nest of vampires. Suddenly a phone began to ring in the glove box of the Impala, filling the otherwise silent car with noise.

"Sammy, quick, find which phone it is", shouted Dean as Sam woke suddenly. Sam felt his way through the handful of phones to find the one which had suddenly sprung to life. Just as he flipped a silver handset open, it stopped in his hand. "Whose phone is this? It's not one of dad's old ones" Sam asked, unable to recognise the handset. Dean looked uncomfortable and admitted, "Its Bobby's old one, I keep in charged up just in case one of his old contacts rings. I thought it might come in handy". As Sam shrugged he went to return the phone back in its place, but a text came through stating that 1 new voicemail was available to listen too.

"Should we listen to it?" Sam asked, "it feels kind of like we're invading his space". Dean stared into the wide open road and thought about it. "It's probably just an old hunter with a case", he replied. Sam quickly challenged this however, claiming "we went through all his old contacts that we could find to tell everyone that he had died", now feeling awkward about the whole situation. Dean shrugged, it wasn't a number he recognised but if it was one of Bobby's friends that needed help, it was the least they could do. "Let's just listen to the voicemail and see who it was and what they wanted" Dean ordered, hoping that Sam didn't challenge him on it. Sam flipped the handset open, and dialling voicemail, put it on loudspeaker.

"Hi Uncle Bobby", a female voice filled the car as the two brothers looked at each other confused. As far as they were aware, Bobby didn't have any family left alive. "I know you still aren't talking to me, but I'm coming to see you. I'm catching a flight in an hour and I should be at yours by 11am tomorrow. I don't know if you're on a case or just ignoring my calls, but I really want to see you." The mystery woman paused, sighed, and then continued. "I love you Uncle Bobby, I'll see you soon, okay?" The call then cut out.

Trying to make sense of it, Sam replayed the call three times, until Dean, frustrated with yet another secret that appeared from beyond the grave, took the cell and flung it towards the back of the car. "What was that for!" exclaimed Sam, confused as much by the look on Dean's face as he was the mystery woman. "We are going to go to Bobby's to meet her right?" he asked. Dean considered the idea and its possibilities before giving his response. "No, we're not. We're going to go back to the bunker and look for another case. For all we know this person isn't even Bobby's niece. For all we know this person isn't even a person!"

Sam stared at his brother is disbelief. "We have to go", he told Dean. "If this really is Bobby's niece then no one has even told her that he died. The two of us were the only family he had left, we owe it to him to do this." Dean sighed. He knew his little brother was right, part of him just didn't want to venture back to Bobby's place. They were meant to sell it but they couldn't bring themselves too, instead the pair convinced themselves that they would split their time between the Men of Letters Headquarters and Bobby's, saving money on motels. Dean had never set foot back into the house, however when they were really stuck, Sam sometimes went and looked through Bobby's library to try and find alternatives. Dean was not aware of this.

Making a sudden U-turn, they began to travel back on themselves to the place Dean swore he would never go back too. For the rest of the journey, the car was filled with silence, doubt and apprehension as both brothers contemplated what would be waiting for them.

**Chapter 2**

It was just approaching 10am when the boys passed under the Singer Auto-Parts sign at the entrance of Bobby's land. The mystery woman was due here in almost an hour and the boys still had no idea who she was, or if indeed she was Bobby's niece at all.

"Did you notice her accent?" Sam asked. It was the first conversation they'd have since Dean had changed his mind and turned the car around. "What, you mean the three thousand times you played the message? No, I didn't notice", Dean replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "She was British, at first I thought it could have been Bella, but since she got dragged to hell by the hounds, I'm guessing he has family over there that he didn't mention." Sam paused, wondering what could have made Bobby fail to mention the fact that he still had a niece alive somewhere. "I wonder what could have happened, I mean something must have gone down, she doesn't even know he's dead and it's been almost two years."

Slowing the car down to an eventual standstill outside the vacant house, Dean stopped and looked at Sam. "Right we're here. You can stay and talk to whatever monster turns up looking for revenge. I'm going to get breakfast. I'll come back for you in two hours." Shocked, Sam stared at Dean, whose face was stubborn and hard. "Dude, you can't just leave me here," he proclaimed, "what if it is some psycho, or some sort of monster. You can't just leave me!" Dean rolled his eyes and looked out of the window into the distance. "Look, you were the one who wanted to come. I don't want to be a part of this. If Bobby didn't mention her then there must have been a reason. Like you said, it's been almost two years since he …," he stopped, feeling the emotion in his voice. "There's no excuse for what she's done, not trying to contact him before now."

Sam opened his mouth to argue, but he could tell from Dean's stance that he wasn't going to budge. "What am I meant to say to her? Sorry but your uncle's been dead for two years. What if she asks questions? What if she doesn't even know he was a hunter, I'm just meant to make something up? I need you there man, for moral support if nothing else. You don't have to speak to her, just come with me." Before Dean could answer, a taxi pulled through the gates and made its way to the house. "I thought she said she wouldn't be here until 11!" Dean exclaimed, feeling more and more uncomfortable with the situation. He sunk lower in his seat as if he was trying to make himself invisible, and Sam tried to stifle back a laugh at how childish he looked.

The taxi came to a halt, and after a few seconds the passenger door opened as a young woman stepped out of the car and made her way to the trunk to collect her bags. From the position of the Impala the boys couldn't see her face, but from the back they could tell that she was tall and slim, with long brown hair. It shimmered red in the sunlight. She didn't bare any familiarity to Bobby so far, and both boys silently thought to themselves that this was a trick, that Bobby's niece was a ruse. Turning round, she made her way to the door. After testing the handle, she began to walk away, and the boys glanced at each other, confused. She suddenly stopped, and kneeling on the floor she lifted up a discarded plant pot. Standing upright, she finally turned and noticed Impala, with the two brothers sitting awkwardly observing her. She made her way up to the car, her face recognisable but unfamiliar to both Sam and Dean at the same time. Her hazel eyes were filled with caution as she approached the vehicle, and as she reached for the door handle they exchanged a worried glance before deciding what to do.

"Are you John Winchester's boys?" she asked, a guarded tone in her voice. Sam nodded while Dean just stared at her, still doubtful. "I only met him once, when I was younger, but you look just like him. Is he here too?" she asked, looking around for their father. Sam stared at her in disbelief, "sorry to break it to you but our father died a long time ago." A look of worry fell upon her face, as she began to search for Bobby with her eyes. "And Uncle Bobby, did he send you here because he's busy on a case?" Panic took over her voice, and her face was mixed with both sorrow and grief, as if she already knew the answer. "Why don't we all go inside? I'm Sam by the way, and this is my brother Dean", Sam informed her as he opened his door and began to step out of the car. Dean however sat still, failing to even acknowledge that the conversation was taking place. "Dean!" Sam exclaimed, "Come on, lets go inside".

To Sam's surprise Dean began to get out of the car, albeit reluctantly, and began to make his way to the front door. He paused, but didn't turn back to look at Sam, who was helping with the mystery woman's bags, and let himself in by picking the lock.

He made his way to the library, and observed the woman closely. He definitely recognised her face from somewhere, but he couldn't place where. She had no real resemblance to Bobby though, that he knew for sure!

Sam followed her in, also wondering why it was that he recognised her face. Subtly trying, and failing to check the name on the luggage label on her suitcase, Sam was also trying to scrutinise her face but found no similarities to Bobby.

Dumping her bags in the library, the three inhabitants all stood uncomfortably and stared at each other. Sam cleared his throat as the mystery woman realised she had forgotten to introduce herself. "Erm, I'm Ashley by the way, I don't know if Uncle Bobby mentioned me" she stated, looking uncomfortably from Sam to Dean. Rolling his eyes, Dean replied "can you just can it with all this Uncle Bobby crap please, who are you really?" Sam looked at his older brother impatiently, and glancing back towards Ashley he apologised, telling her "what my brother means to say is that no, he never mentioned you. He just puts things a bit more bluntly." His tone turned softer as he asked "when was the last time you spoke to him?"

Her face filled with regret as she explained to the brothers. "It was about 7 years ago. We had a huge fight." The two brothers simply stared at her, but she noticed the one called Dean had hatred in his eyes. "Uncle Bobby and my dad were brothers, and when my dad went to college he met my mum. She moved to England and he followed, I never even met my Aunt Karen." She stopped, wondering why she had to explain all this to two strangers. "My parents died when I was around 6, car crash, Uncle Bobby was the only family I had left, he was my only guardian so I got sent to him and he brought me up as his own. It wasn't until I was around 18 and wanted to go home to study that we fell out. He found my applications and we had a huge fight about it, he didn't want to me leave him, said it wasn't safe. He said if I went he would kick me out and I wouldn't be allowed to come back, and I left. That was the last time I saw him."

Dean's voice filled with sarcasm, "well that's just great; we've found the female version Sam! Hard done too because they walked away from their family to go to school. And I guess you think that Bobby was some evil father figure do you?" hardly hiding the disgust in his voice.

"Don't pretend that you know me Dean Winchester! You know nothing about me or my relationship with Uncle Bobby. Who are you to judge anyone" Ashley almost shouted across the room. Sam, speechless at both the revelations about Bobby and his brothers reaction, didn't have any words to participate in this conversation. "Listen, just can it with the Uncle Bobby act sister. He never mentioned you, we're the only family he had and he said it to us every day" Dean spat at her, hatred in his eyes. Sam had very rarely seen him like this before, especially towards somebody he'd just met, and never to a strange but attractive woman like Ashley.

As soon as Dean had said 'had', Ashley began to slump against the wall she was standing next to. "You said had, why did you say had", she muttered looking between the two brothers frantically, desperate for answers. "Why are you two here and not Uncle Bobby?" Dean stormed out of the room, and as Sam walked slowly towards Ashley he heard the tyres of the Impala screech on the gravel outside. "Ashley I'm so sorry" he muttered as he awkwardly put one arm around the woman he didn't even knew existed until 12 hours ago. Trying, and failing miserably to console her, she finally started to sob. Heavy at first, but finally it turned into muted silent tears.

She straightened up, and wiping away the leftover tears, her face hardened and became steely. "Tell me what happened to him". And so Sam explained, about what happened in the years after she left. How he helped them find the demon that killed his mother, how helpful he was to the boys over the years, how many sticky and dangerous situations he got them out of, and eventually how he died. "He died almost two years ago now" he explained, as her eyes filled with tears again. "He got shot, we cremated him but Dean kept his flask. He was attached to it and eventually he became a vengeful spirit. Once we stopped him, his soul got taken to hell, but we managed to get him out. Hopefully he's at peace now." Although he knew deep down that this wouldn't really make her feel better, he hoped that it would give her some peace of mind.

The house was once again filled with a loud silence, and after what felt like hours of sitting side by side but feeling alone. Sam was plunged back into the memories of the house, of all the times they were in here together looking for cases, or just helping each other to survive. Ashley was also plunged back into her memories, hers of both much happier and much sadder times during her childhood. Many hateful things were said during that last argument, and he must have never truly forgiven her if he never mentioned her to the boys. The echo of Dean's hurtful words cut into her once more. "He never mentioned you, we're the only family he had and he said it to us every day." She had never gotten to make amends and she knew now that this would be the biggest regret of her life.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 3**

Dean drove as fast as he could to leave those painful memories of Bobby's and his own fathers death behind, but he couldn't escape them and he soon found himself pulling over. He also realised he hadn't eaten since almost 12 hours ago, since the phone call from that woman changed everything. He didn't know who he resented more. Ashley for showing up after all this time and revealing family secrets he never knew about his father figure, or Bobby failing to mention that he still had a living niece. The pain tore him apart inside, knowing that all those times Bobby had told him and Sam that they were the only family he had was a lie. As he walked into the nearest diner he could find, he realised that he had lost his appetite. Getting back in him Impala he knew why, and headed back to Bobby's.

**Chapter 4**

When Ashley and Sam both stirred from their sorrowful trances, Ashley quietly asked Sam if he would help her move her bags upstairs to her old bedroom. The boys had never been upstairs in Bobby's house before, always sleeping on the couches instead. Sam felt a twinge of annoyance that all these times there had been a perfectly good bed upstairs. Walking into her room however, any annoyance evaporated when he realised that no-body, not even Bobby, had disturbed this room since Ashley had left. He suddenly felt a jolt of sorrow for Bobby, how hard it must have been to have his last living family member walk away from him after all the pain and loss in his life. No wonder Bobby failed to mention the existence of his niece, the pain was too raw. While Ashley began to unpack, Sam considered asking her what she was planning on doing now that Bobby was no longer here, however the sound of the Impala's engine outside distracted him.

Sam excused himself from Ashley's room and went to meet Dean outside, who was carrying trays of take-out food. "Look, I know I was a douche. You don't need to start on me. Is she still here?" Dean asked. Sam nodded, he wanted to ask her what they were going to do, should they offer to stay with her for a couple of days, but Dean's mood had flipped so quickly that he didn't want to push him too far over the edge.

"Look, I'll set the food out, you go apologise. She's in her bedroom, it's the door that used to be locked, next to the bathroom", Sam explained to Dean, rinsing the dust off the first plates and cutlery he could find. Dean ventured up the stairs, and although the door was ajar, he knocked anyway before entering. Ashley's big eyes were filled with tears and raw around the edges. Her face turned defensive as soon as she saw it was Dean entering her room, as if she was gearing up for another fight. "What do you want?" she asked, caution and resentment clear in her face. "Here to have another go at me?" she asked, "I can beat myself up about this way more than you can so you're wasting your time." Her voice wavered towards the end of the sentence, her tears threatening to over-spill. Dean sighed, and tried to apologise as meaningfully as he could. "Look, I'm sorry. It just took Sammy and me by surprise that you even existed. I couldn't bring myself to believe that the man who had taken us under his wing for years failed to mention that he had a living niece. It was just a lot to take in. But that doesn't mean I should have taken it out on you." Her face softened slightly, but she still felt as if she would always have to defend her actions from all those years ago whenever he was around. "Anyway, I've brought food. It's downstairs if you want some. I'll see you down there". As he turned to walk out of the door he suddenly heard "Dean", he turned around and she was standing staring at him. "I'm sorry too. I took a lot out on you today as well." He gave half a smile and turned to walk down the stairs, hearing a door shut behind him and weak sobs coming from her room.

**Chapter 5**

By the second day in the house, they brothers were getting restless, Dean especially. He struck up the idea of leaving her by herself now. "It's been two days man, we hardly know the chick. What are we still doing here?" Sam felt exasperated, shaking his head at his older brother. "Look Dean, she's just found out the only family she had left has been dead for over a year and she never got to make amends. We should at least stay for a couple more days, show our support and that." They heard footsteps and stopped talking, not knowing how much she had heard. Freshly showered, Ashley walked through the library to go up the stairs, feeling a little awkward as she felt both of their eyes burning into her skin. She was practically naked aside from a towel, in front of two men that, as she had just heard say, hardly knew her. Sam and Dean exchanged a quick glance at each other while she walked past, not knowing what to do or say.

Now dressed, Ashley entered the library where the boys had both been sleeping to broach the subject of what they were going to do. She didn't want them to keep her company out of sympathy, and although she liked hearing other people in the house, she doubted she would be staying much longer once they had left. "Look, I heard you two this morning and I know you want to go", she said. Before they could protest she continued, "Its fine, I understand. Besides, I don't really want to stay in this house anyway. There are too many memories here for me." With that her brave exterior started to waver as the emotion broke through her voice. She quickly went back to her cool, strong persona; Sam however, didn't fall for it. "Look, it's not you that we feel uneasy about. It's the house." While it may have been the only spur of the moment lie that he could think of, as the words left his mouth he realised that they were actually true. For both him and Dean the memories and pain were still raw within these walls, and that was why they hadn't returned until now. "Why don't you come back with us, we've got this place in Kansas. You can stay as long as you want. Can't she Dean?" Sam saw the shock in his eyes when he looked in Dean's direction, and he simply nodded his head. Dean however was dubious about having a woman living with them, it was a whole new dimension and since Bobby had died it had just been the two brothers alone. And he liked having just the two of them, it meant no-one else got hurt; no-one else had to die because of their actions. Bringing someone totally new into the mix, someone who wasn't even a real hunter, was just dangerous. But he couldn't say no to the eyes that had filled with hope since Sam had uttered the invitation. So in a couple of hours they had packed up and were on the road.

While helping pack some of Bobby's belongings that she thought might be useful, she unintentionally showed her worth to Dean. "You know, I only went off to school so that I could be a better hunter" she said, and seeing the confusion on Dean's face she continued. "I used to help Uncle Bobby with his cases; I'd do the research into different laws, while he was out hunting. Sam said that he traded roles and ended up doing that for you" she explained. Pointing round the library she gave Dean more of an insight. "I made him buy me half these books, I was so fascinated with all the different types of monsters and surprised and how many were real." Suddenly Dean saw a future where he and Sam could concentrate on the hunting 100%, while Ashley did their research for them. He felt selfish afterwards, but he kind of liked the idea of just pure hunting. "So you went off and studied, did it help?" he asked, half interested, half envisioning his and Sam's new hunting experience. She nodded, "I got accepted into Cambridge and studied Mythological Philosophy, it's surprising how extensive some of the law is into some of the monsters you hunt." she debated. "You sound like Sam" he replied, and they both laughed. It was the first time they had had an easy going conversation since they met.

Sam could hear the laughter from outside as he was putting bags into the back of the car. He felt a stab of jealousy; she was probably falling for Dean's good looks and charm right now. Until now, he felt like it was the one girl the brothers had come across that he wasn't going to have to fight Dean for, but the harmless flirting that rang out through the window proved otherwise.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 6**

"You're quiet", Dean stated as they drove the couple of hours journey to Kansas from Sioux Falls. Sam shrugged and glanced behind him to see Ashley peacefully asleep, spread out on the back seat surrounded by bags. "Dude, it was your idea to invite her with us, you're not having second thoughts are you" he asked. Sam just simply shook his head, trying to think of a lie to say instead of his true feelings. "I was just thinking that I don't understand why Bobby would never even mention her. He must have been devastated when she walked out." Dean stared out of the car window onto the empty road ahead, "I don't know dude, he wasn't exactly much of a lets talk about our feelings and eat ice cream type was he. He probably just tried to bury his feelings down the hatch and take him anger out of the monsters instead." It made Sam smile to think about Bobby's no nonsense attitude and his blunt way with words. "You're right" Sam said, "no doubt he probably took it out on us too." And with that they both smiled.

As they pulled up outside the Men of Letters Headquarters, Ashley began to stir from her sleep. During this time the boys had pulled over, eaten and changed positions. Sam was now driving and Dean was asleep, his mouth slightly ajar. "Do you never feel like just sticking something in his mouth when he's like that," she whispered, looking around the car for something. Sam laughed, "It only starts a prank war, and Dean takes it too far too seriously" Sam explained. "One time he filled my shampoo bottle with super-glue. So believe me, I've learnt from my mistakes." Ashley leant over and turned the volume up to the loudest settling before turning the radio on, startling Dean from his slumber. At first shocked at being woken up so violently, he became grumpy when he realised that the pair were laughing at him, and slammed the door as he left the car. "Sorry," Ashley said to Sam, not wanting to cause trouble. Sam rolled his eyes, "he'll get over it when he gets hungry." At this they both laughed, realising it was true.

After Sam and Dean brought all the bags into the house, Ashley sent Sam to the grocery store with a shopping list while Dean gave her a guided tour of the bunker. "I'm sorry we woke you up like that in the car" Ashley apologised, "it was my idea" she admitted. He seemed to still be a bit disgruntled by it but he assured her that it was ok. "You can get me back sometime if it makes you feel any better" she suggested, "just no super-glue in my shampoo bottle ok, my hair is much more delicate than Sam's." With this his grumpy mood started to melt as he returned her smile.

Last stop on their guided tour was her room. It was the smallest bedroom, situated in between both Sam and Dean's rooms. At first she was unsure of what to think, it had a double bed and a desk, so she couldn't really complain. Besides, the boys had invited her into their tight knit group; she didn't want to seem ungrateful for that. She smiled and thanked Dean for the tour, and began to bring her belongings up the two flights of stairs. They'd just finished bringing the last of her belongings up as Sam returned with her shopping. A mixture of cleaning items and food to stock the fridge and cupboards, both Sam and Dean would never admit it but they were looking forward to a cleaner, more healthy lifestyle. Ashley prepared dinner in the open plan kitchen/dining room while the two brothers sat hunched over Sam's laptop in the living area, separated from the dining area by the kitchen counter, an island with no bar stools. They were searching for possible cases. She could hear them muttering away to each other, becoming more and more like excitable school children. It was strange, she thought to herself, how hunters, herself included, became so excited at the possibility of there being a monster out there killing people. Although she wasn't a hunter as much in a practical sense, with very little experience in the field, she prided herself on her knowledge of the subject. It wasn't as good as saving lives like Sam and Dean did, but she thought of what she did as being on a similar level. Hunters didn't know everything, and they needed people like her to help them out of sticky situations every now and again. That being said, part of her craved to go out and get stuck in those situations herself.

**Chapter 7**

As Ashley was preparing the dinner in the kitchen, Dean noticed she was deep in thought about something. Although at first both Sam and Dean agreed that she had no resemblance to Bobby, it was clear that they had lived together for some time. She had a lot of his mannerisms, the way she bit the inside of her lip when she was concentrating hard, the way she said certain words. And although her eyes were a different shade, they had the same shape and softness when concerned or upset. However she was a lot more delicate than Bobby, and he could imagine her scolding him for some of his behaviour if she was around when he had took the the boys under his wing. But she wasn't around, and he couldn't help but feel the anger build up inside of him when he thought about how she'd just abandoned him like that. It was just the same as when Sam had left their family to go to Stanford. Of course Sam had come back, after some persuasion and the matter of Jessica's death. Ashley had just abandoned Bobby; he couldn't imagine not speaking to a member of his family for 7 whole years, living in a different part of the world with no contact. It frustrated him that he couldn't ask her why she didn't come back sooner, knowing that her answer would only infuriate him more. Sam on the other hand understood. Although their situations weren't the same, with Sam wanting to get out of hunting and Ashley wanting to widen her knowledge, the outcomes were still the same. Getting kicked out of your home by your father because he didn't understand your needs and dreams, these were all things Sam could relate too. But Dean couldn't wrap his head around anybody being able to severe their bond with family so badly that it could never be reconnected.

Sam realised that Dean had stopped listening to his theories on the case a long time ago, his face deep in thought. "Dude, quit staring at her", he said nudging Dean out of his trance. "I'm not" he said defensively, although they both knew it was a lie. Before Sam could argue otherwise, Ashley shouted them in for dinner. While eating, Sam brought up the subject of a possible case he had found. "So there's a case where men are going missing from a particular stretch of road and are never seen again. It's only a couple of hours drive, we could set off in the morning and be there by the afternoon," Sam informed Ashley. "Me and Dean were thinking about checking it out, would you want to come with us?" Sam asked as Dean stared at his brother, mouth full of food. " Or you could stay here if you wanted too, don't feel pressured into coming with us" he added quickly. Ashley chewed on her pasta thinking about it. If she was going to stay here, she'd have to get used to being in the bunker on her own. But it was only her first night; did she want to be left alone so soon?

"I'll stay here" she finally told the boys, "I'll just do any research you need me to do here, and if I need to come out I can get a hire car and join you." The brothers nodded, and both Sam and Dean were silently relieved. Although it was nice to have an extra person with them, they were used to being alone and it would take some time to get used to the threesome they had now become.

The next morning she waved the boys off in the hire car that they had acquired in case Ashley needed to drive the Impala down to them. She'd also packed them some lunch to take on the way since it was a long drive. Although Sam was pleased that they didn't have to have bad diner food this time, Dean felt a little disappointed, he loved his diner food! As they drove, they began talking about what possible monsters they'd tackle during this case.

**Chapter 8 **

After two days of being on the case, Sam and Dean found themselves getting very frustrated. They didn't want to rely on Ashley for help; however they couldn't make sense of what type of spirit they were dealing with. Eventually they gave in, and rang for assistance. After looking through the town's history and databases, she rang back with news. "Ok, so after looking through everything, I think your spirit is a woman in white" she informed them. Sam had already put her on loudspeaker, but Dean grabbed the phone. "That's impossible," he argued with her, "she didn't have any children to kill, and she wasn't married". Sam rolled his eyes, between Dean flirting with Ashley and challenging everything she said, he couldn't decide how Dean felt about her. "Well I looked over those records you sent me, and something seemed off about them, so I looked through newspaper articles from the time and she was actually married and pregnant when she killed herself. Her husband was so distraught and couldn't believe what he did, that he changed her records back to her maiden name. That's why you couldn't see that from your records." Sam looked at Dean, clearly impressed with Ashley's digging skills. Dean however was not convinced. "Well we can't find a corpse to salt and burned the bones and she killed another kid last night, so how do you suggest we kill it since you know everything?" he snapped at her. From her voice you could hear that she couldn't understand how or why she had offended him, and her tone suddenly got defensive and cold. "You know what Dean, I've just told you everything that you couldn't work out by yourself over two days, in five minutes of digging so why don't you try being a bit more grateful" she said, and then hung up.

"Great," Sam said, "well done Dean," he said, exasperated. "I don't understand why a simple thank you would have been so hard for you to say. We would have been stuck on this for ages if she hadn't have found that out." And with that, Dean stormed out, and the engine of the hire car outside filled the silence outside. Sam picked up his cell and tried to phone her back, it went straight to voicemail so he left a message. "Look, I'm sorry about Dean. He's just being a douche. Anyway, that was really great work, thank you for everything! I don't suppose you could tell us where about she killed her non-existent kid so we can try and trick her back there. Thanks, Sam."

Ashley listened to the message Sam had left her, and was about to call him back but she was so angry at the way Dean had spoken to her that she couldn't face talking to either one of them right now. She'd done everything they had asked her to do and more, she'd found out exactly what type of spirit it was and how to get rid of it. They hadn't achieved any results in two days but that wasn't her fault. She'd asked them regularly to ask if they needed any help, she just hadn't gotten anything to work with from them.

Dean was so frustrated, driving the hire car dangerously fast around the tight bend. And that's when he saw the latest man to go missing, covered in blood and badly injured. He slammed on his breaks, just stopping in time. "Can you help me?" the teenage boy asked, and Dean looked at him wearily. He knew that this monster wasn't a woman in white; they never leave their victims alive. Confused, he assisted the injured boy into the back of the hire car and drove to the nearest hospital he could find.

Sam's phone rang and he frantically ran to pick it up. Ashley's voice was panicked on the other end of the line. "Sam, it's not a woman in white," she explained. His eyebrows furrowed, "What?" he asked. "I just spoke to her husband, I was wondering why he changed her name, which is a story for another time but I found out something else." She was talking so fast now, clearly worried that they had already attempted to go after the spirit. Sam was still trying to catch up, to see the problem, when Ashley said "I asked where her husband where he buried his wife and he told me that he had buried her in the cemetery you went to see. But he said to me about the fact that her body was stolen, just a couple of days before the first man got taken. I think it's a ghoul Sam, it won't be in the form of the woman anymore, it'll be the ghoul's latest victim. Is Dean with you?" she asked. Sam felt the panic rise in his voice, "No he stormed out about 15 minutes ago" he replied.

After ringing Dean several times, Sam sent him a text explaining that Ashley was wrong and it was a ghoul. It was no use, he grabbed a bike that hadn't been chained properly and tried to find him.

Meanwhile, Dean glanced down at his phone and quickly read the text, but the ghoul started coughing blood, unaware that Dean knew its true identity. Why couldn't Ashley have figured this out before he'd left, he thought to himself. Although deep down he knew that storming off pre-maturely to find the spirit wasn't the best move either.

He revved the engine of the hire car, and then stalled the car completely. "For god sake!" he exclaimed, hoping the ghoul would believe that the car had broken down. "Just hang on, I have something in the back which might work. Just don't bleed out on me okay man" he told the monster in the back seat. He quickly got out of the car, racing to the back to collect a sharp object. He knew ghouls meant a head removal, just like a vampire. He just hoped the hire car had enough of their supplies in it for that. He rooted around, finally finding a metal bar; he'd just have to beat it to death. Turning round, the ghoul picked up Dean like he was a rag doll, flinging him to the floor by the side of the road. "So, you figured out what I am did you, Dean Winchester" he proclaimed, standing over a helpless Dean. "Took you and little Sammy long enough, what was it that threw you? The taking live bodies instead of stiffs? I just thought to myself, well why not have a bit of fine dining now and again. I deserve it!" With that the ghoul smiled, taking a knife out of its jacket pocket and leaning down to Deans wrists. "Once I'm through with you, I'm going to go up to Sammy and eat him up. He always looked like the tastier one of the two. He can be dessert, if you will."

Sam had located the GPS in the hire car and was peddling as fast as he could. The car had remained motionless for the last few minutes, hopefully Dean had sorted the ghoul out and was cleaning up after himself. Turning the corner at high speed, he saw Dean slumped up against the side of the road, unconscious, as the ghoul hunched over his body, sucking blood from the gash he had just tore in the flesh of Dean's wrist. Sam picked up the metal bar on the floor and snuck up behind the ghoul, hitting it over the head. It took several hits before the ghouls skull became concaved, and Sam ran over to check on Dean. Luckily for Dean, the ghoul had only cut one wrist, and although Dean had lost a lot of blood he was going to be ok.

Reluctantly, Ashley came to collect the brothers from the hire car lot once they had returned from the case. Dean hadn't said anything to her, and she to him. It was a very uncomfortable, although short, drive home. Once the car was parked up outside of the headquarters, Ashley stormed out and slammed the door behind her. "Dude, you think she's still pissed?" Dean asked sarcastically. Sam rolled his eyes, "grow up man, you do kind of owe her an apology. God only knows what would have happened if she hadn't have figured out it was a ghoul. Fair enough she made a mistake but in the end she saved your life." Dean knew he was right, he just didn't want to have to apologise to her again. He was getting fed up of saying he was sorry.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 9**

Dean found himself walking to Ashley's room to apologise for his behaviour straight after he got out of the Impala. Before he knocked on her door he overheard her speaking to a friend about how much of a douche he was, immediately turning around and walking the other way . Weeks passed and the tension in the air seemed to be defrosting slightly. For the first few cases afterwards, Ashley simply refused to work with Dean. Her relationship with Sam started to grow as the two of them spent more time working together, both between and during cases. After a while she began to realise that Dean just wasn't going to apologise, unbeknown to her that her had heard the Skype conversation with her friend Jess from home. She felt her anger starting to melt away with each one of his surprising gestures and behaviours during the passing weeks, and although the two of them still didn't talk to each other very much, she could feel herself thinking about him more and more.

Late one night she woke up panicked to the screeching of tyres. The boys were a couple of hours away tackling a group of suspected Changeling's, she hadn't expected them back until tomorrow night at the earliest, but it appeared to be them outside.

"Ashley," Sam shouted, the panic in his voice making it rise several octaves higher. "I need your help! Please, it's Dean." Flinging on her robe, she ran downstairs to the sight of Sam attempting to carry Dean out of the car. It was only when Sam moved slightly that Ashley realised the severity of the situation. Dean's left arm and the whole left side of his torso were badly burnt. Red and raw, the skin was splintering off to highlight deep wounds all over his body. "Get him in the shower," she shouted, putting one arm around Dean and dragging him inside. Sam's face was panic stricken, but Ashley didn't have time to console him. Burns required quick treatment so that they didn't become infected or scar, this she knew. They had to cool the wound down. Fully clothed, Ashley propped Dean in the shower and turned the heat to the coldest setting. It was only then that she realised Dean was not the only brother with burns, and Sam's hands were glistening red, covered in blisters. "Sam, quick. In the freezer there are frozen peas. Hold them over your hands until I've dealt with Dean" she said to him, giving him that no nonsense look that he knew so well. "Don't argue with me Sam. I've got Dean, now go!" she ordered him. "You done everything right Sam, but you can't do anything more" she said softly. With that he turned and left, but not before glancing at Dean once more, pain present behind his eyes.

Ashley let the cold shower run over Dean for at least 20 minutes before laying him down in the bath and filling it with cold water. She had left him fully dressed as she knew that trying to remove his t-shirt could be damaging for the wound itself while his skin was still so fragile. It was his favourite t-shirt, and although it was ruined from the heat that caused the burn, she couldn't bring herself to cut it off him. She stared at his face, still unconscious from the pain. Although covered in burns, he looked so peaceful. It was the first time she had really seen him like that. His eyelids began to flicker as he became more aware of his surroundings.

"Hey Dean, it's me" she told him, quickly adding "Ashley" in case he didn't realise. "You've been badly burnt, I'm trying to cool down your skin now, so don't move for me ok. I'm just going to check on Sam and I'll be back in a couple of minutes." She looked at him, he looked so vulnerable. "Just don't move" she repeated softly. As she left the room she was sure she had heard him mutter what sounded like a thank you, but she wasn't sure.

"How're you doing?" she asked Sam while checking on his hands. He shrugged, still clearly worried about his brother upstairs. "Hey, he's going to be fine," she told him as she gave him a hug to try and calm him down. "You got him here in time and the burns are starting to cool down. Hopefully he'll be left with minimal scarring by the time he's healed." Examining his hands she thought about how lucky he was in comparison with Dean. "Just keep holding the peas over your knuckles ok, if they start to melt there's another bag in there somewhere, but you'll be fine. I'm going back to check on Dean now." Again Sam just nodded his head. She wanted to ask him what had happened but she didn't think he was ready to talk about it right now. Maybe tomorrow morning he could explain to her.

Checking the temperature of the water with her hand, Dean suddenly opened his eyes. At first they were full of pain, yet he seemed relieved to see her. "I don't know what we would do without you," he murmured as he closed his eyes, "you seem to fix everything." She smiled fleetingly, yet it didn't quite reach her eyes. "How're you feeling?" she gently asked. "Stupid," Dean replied, his eyes still closed. Ashley let the plug out of the bath, reaching for the cold tap again to fill the tub back up. "I want to apologise," Dean started, "for being so hard on you while you've been here. You went through a rough time and I wasn't helping anything." He paused for a few seconds, and Ashley wasn't quite sure if he had lost conciousness again. "Bobby would have been proud of you, you know, the way you've been helping us out. You've saved my ass a few times now, you saved my life." And with that, Dean grew silent as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

And so she repeated this routine, of filling up the bath when the water got too warm due to the temperature of his skin. After about three hours she pulled Dean up, and after finally working up the courage to cut his favourite t-shirt, she propped him back under the shower. Turning the cold water on, Dean jumped, startled from the unexpected blast of icy cold water. Ashley took a step inside the shower cubicle, making sure that the water was reaching his burns, however much to her surprise Dean grabbed her hands and pulled her underneath the running water with him. He could see the shock in her eyes, and leaning in he began to kiss her gently. Ashley was confused, she wasn't sure quite what to do. All she knew was that in this moment, she wanted to kiss him back, and so a slow gentle kiss turned into a rather passionate embrace. She wanted to take this further, but didn't quite understand the situation fully. It wasn't until Dean slowly began to remove her soaked robe that she saw the desire and lust in his eyes, and kissed him with such heat that it took him by surprise.

**Chapter 10**

Sam woke startled and confused. Glancing at his watch he noticed that it was 9:30am, and neither Ashley nor Dean were to be found. He checked the bathroom first, and noticing Dean's favourite t-shirt and Ashley's soggy robe his head spun with the ideas of what had occurred here while he was asleep downstairs. He was just walking past Dean's bedroom as his brother opened the door. "I thought I heard you" Dean said quietly. "how are your hands? Thanks for taking such good care of me last night Sammy." Sam had stopped listening, instead he stared through Dean's door to see Ashley laid on his bed, her body covered by a sheet apart from her small of her back to the curves of her shoulders. "How could you do this Dean" he said, quietly yet forceful. "She's been nothing but good to us and you've gone and messed it all up. She's going to leave now. Why would she want to stay and be around you everyday after this. For once why couldn't you have just kept it in your pants?" he exclaimed exasperated with his brothers actions. Jealously washed over him in sharp waves. Dean had never even shown interest in her. He'd made no attempts to include her in their lives. Why did she choose him?

Dean shut the door quietly, trying not to wake Ashley up. He could see the pain in Sam's expression, but didn't understand why. "Look we're both adults Sammy, what happened last night won't affect anything" he said, trying to reassure Sam. "Of course it will, do you honestly not think that she isn't going to be awkward and embarrassed around you now. Especially when you bring your next conquest home" Sam snapped. Dean sighed; he hadn't been honest with his brother about his developing feelings towards Ashley. The way her brown hair sometimes shimmered red in the light, the way her freckles appeared to be dancing when she laughed. He had been falling for her for some time now. He just hadn't been honest with himself until he woke up beside her this morning, her hair falling like a curtain around her face, her mouth slightly ajar. "Look Sammy, this is different", he explained, hoping that Sam would understand and not make him admit his feelings for her aloud. Sam narrowed his eyes, "go on" he stated. "I like her okay, is that good enough?" he said, his voice rising in volume, "I don't want her to go anywhere. And I certainly don't want to bring other conquests back."

Behind the door Ashley smiled. She had not expected that reaction from Dean, and although she wouldn't have changed the events of last night, she thought Dean was merely using her as a distraction from his painful burns. The possibility that he was actually interested in her had never crossed her mind, and she could feel a grin take over her face, that kind that would not leave for days. The boys were still muttering in the corridor outside, but she knew it was time to let them know she was awake. Finding one of Dean's t-shirts she pulled it on, opening the door to disturb their conversation of muted whispers.

"Ok boys, break it up please" she warned them, their shocked faces observing her. "Dean, I need to take a look at your burns. Sam, if I give you a list of things can you go buy them for me?" she asked, ignoring his disappointed stare. The haunted look on Sam's face of betrayal and hurt clued her into his stance on what he'd observed when opening Dean's door. He just nodded and turned, heading to the car. "Text me it," was all he said, grabbing the keys and slamming the door behind him. She turned to Dean, unsure of what to say. "Come on, lie down on the bed" she finally said to him. His eyebrow arched, and a faint yet flirty smile etched itself upon his face. "Calm down," Ashley said, as if she was reading his mind. "I just need to check how your burns are looking." Dejected, he lowered himself onto the bed. In all the excitement of last night and the confrontation with Sammy this morning, he'd totally forgot about his burns. Lying on his back he was suddenly reminded and winced. The tightening of his skin on his abdomen causing an uncomfortable sensation.

"What we did last night shouldn't have happened," Ashley finally muttered after what seemed like hours of her poking and prodding Dean's open wounds. "We could have seriously infected these wounds, they weren't bandaged up." Relief washed over Dean. At least she wasn't regretting what had happened between them. He certainly wasn't, apart from Sam's harsh reaction. "Your arm looks like it's going to heal ok thank god, you'll have minimal scarring. Hopefully if Sam can find what I've asked for these ones should be ok too" she finished, gently laying her hand flat on his chest. She stared into his eyes, wondering what he was thinking, if he really meant the things he had said. Dean propped himself up on the bed with his good arm, and gingerly stroked her cheek with the other hand. "I don't know if you heard what I said to Sam, but I meant every word of it" he whispered to her, and with that she leant forward to reach his lips, kissing him softly but earnestly. While they still had lots of issues to talk about, for now they wrapped themselves in each other, forgetting about the world outside.

Quickly dressing, she heard the engine of the Impala pull up outside the house and cut off. It was five minutes or so by the time Sam entered the kitchen through the back door, his face still sullen. "Here's the list of things you asked for," he said, attempting to leave the room. "Sam, wait" Ashley called after him. He turned, expecting an explanation, an apology for what happened between her and Dean. Her mouth opened, as if she wanted to speak but couldn't find the words. "Some of this is for you," she eventually said, "for your hands." He turned and walked to his bedroom, he couldn't face her treating his wounds after she had been so intimate with his brother.

Ashley knocked on the door four times. He knew it was her before he even opened it. It was her trademark knock; she'd done it ever since she arrived. She poked her head round the door after there was no answer. "Can I come in?" she asked. Sam simply nodded, sitting on his bed with his laptop on his knee. She sat down beside him, looking uncomfortable. Noticing the tubes in her hands, she was carrying burn cream and ointments. "Look Sam, I know you're mad at me but please let me look at your burns" she told him, the way a mother would talk to their child when they didn't want to be helped. He put his laptop down, and sat facing her. Without saying any words, he held his hands out. "Thank you," she said, breathing a sigh of relief. First she cleansed his knuckles in anti-bacterial, before putting a few drops of the ointment on a cloth and massaging it his burns. Afterwards she rubbed in the cream and placed a bandage over both of his knuckles. "Sam, I just want to say sorry," she started as she was finishing off the final bandage. "I know you aren't happy about what happened last night. But please don't just take it out on Dean. It takes two people to tango." Sam opened his mouth to tell her how she should be apologising for what she did, not sticking up for Dean. His face was contorted with anger until he looked at her face, and the resentment started to melted away. Her eyes were wide with guilt and sadness, tears threatening to brim over at any second. He knew at that point that she wanted to apologise for her actions, she just couldn't find the words. So instead he just nodded at her, and muttered that it was ok, even if he hated himself for doing so.

Next, Ashley went to check on Dean. He was laid on his back on the bed, snoring gently. Trying not to wake him she followed the same procedure as she had with Sam, disinfecting the wound before treating it with ointment and burn cream. However she used special cooling bandages for the large area of burns on Dean's torso and abdomen, infused with an ice pack to keep the skin chilled. It was not until she applied the final one that he began to stir. Seeing her face, he smiled, and Ashley felt the guilt of her conversation with Sam rip her apart. He looked so small and sullen, trying to act like everything was ok yet his eyes had given him away.

**Chapter 11**

Things in the house felt awkward and tense for the next few days. Apart from assisting the boys with their healing burns, Ashley stayed in her room for the majority of the day. While she still made the evening meal, she ate alone and both Sam and Dean noticed that she looked exhausted, constantly seeming to her red eyes. Both brothers wondered if it was because she was regretting what had happened between her and Dean. In reality it was the guilt of what she had done to the brother's relationship and her conflicting emotions between not wanting to tear them apart further and being with Dean that was keeping her up at night. On the fourth night, as Ashley had went to her room with the pasta dish she had made for them all, Dean finally broke the silence between him and Sam.

"Sammy look we need to talk about what happened the other day. Its tearing Ashley apart," he added, hoping it would make Sam cooperate. His brother sighed. "I know," Sam replied, "I just don't know what to say to her. Shouldn't it be your job to talk to her anyway, you're the one that is sleeping with her" he added, a touch of jealously in his voice. "Dude, come on. You know she hasn't spoken to me since. Besides, I don't know what to say either" Dean admitted. He had tried to find the words, but he hadn't had a real relationship since Lisa, and she couldn't even remember it. He hadn't had much luck with women that he actually fell for, that's why he stuck to the one night stands. No one was going to get hurt, well not as bad as they could. "You did this Dean" Sam reminded him, "it's your mistake and you've got to fix it. I can't go in there and apologise for you." This statement took Dean by surprise, "I don't think of what happened as a mistake Sammy, I want to try and make this work" he informed his younger brother. "Why is this such a big deal for you anyway?" he asked, a question that had been bugging him since their first confrontation. Sam shifted his weight and looked at the floor. "Answer the question" Dean said forcefully. "I don't have a problem with it Dean" Sam said through his teeth, but Dean knew him well enough to know he was lying. He raised an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes at his brother, Sam looked away. "Look, I just didn't think you were interested in each other" Sam finally admitted, "I mean you could never talk to each other without arguing, you seemed to have nothing in common. I don't understand where it came from." And with that Sam turned and exited.

"Hey don't walk away from me Sam" Dean shouted as Sam walked up the stairs. "Are you interested in her?" he asked, genuinely not wanting to know the answer. While he knew the pair of them got along well, he thought they saw each other purely as friends. He felt immensely guilty. He would have never gone there if he knew Sam was interested too! Sam suddenly turned around to face Dean. "No!" he exclaimed, "alright I don't know what I think. I was in the middle of trying to work that out myself but you got there first. Its fine Dean, I don't mind. Now just go talk to her so we can go back to the way things were." With that Sam spun round and sped off into his room, his door closing loudly behind him.

**Chapter 12**

"Can I come in?" Dean asked, knocking on Ashley's bedroom door. "Sure" she replied hesitantly. She had heard snippets of the brother's conversation, but only when they were raising their voices towards each other, so she had expected one of them to come in. "I think we need to talk, about what happened the other night." Dean started, unsure of what to say next. "Dean you don't have to explain" Ashley said, "I know that you aren't the relationship kind of guy. And don't worry, I don't want to get married and start a family. I know it was a two time thing, you don't have to say anymore. Honestly it's fine." Dean looked around her room, wondering what to say, how to tell her that she had the wrong end of the stick. "Is that what you think I was coming in here to tell you?" he asked quietly, his face had fallen. Ashley's face meanwhile perked up as she answered him, "Am I wrong?" she asked, failing to hide the hopeful tone in her voice.

Again, Dean didn't know what to say. "I like you Ashley" he explained to her. "I mean it, I really like you" he added, feeling the need to explain further. "I'm not good with this whole relationship thing though. The last relationship I had ended up with her memory being wiped. I don't know where to start or what to say. I don't want you to get hurt." Ashley walked over to him and took his hand. "I'm a big girl Dean, I can look after myself" she told him. "As for the not knowing what to say, I can't help you. You have to be the one to tell me what you think, that's how a relationship works." Dean shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and back again. He felt uncomfortable, worried that she might expect too much from him. "So where do we go from here?" he asked her. "How about a date?" she asked him in return, "nothing fancy, just dinner somewhere. Somewhere we can just talk. And if it doesn't work out then there's no pressure, we gave it a shot. I'm not going to run out the door if it all goes wrong" she comforted him. He smiled back at her, "alright then, it's a date."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 13**

Two days later, when Ashley had given Dean the all clear with his burns, he brought up the subject of taking her on a date. "So, now that I'm good to go, can I take you on that date tonight?" he asked, his masculine bravado failing to mask his nerves. She grinned at him, expecting him to forget or wimp out of asking her. "Well I'm pretty sure I'm not doing anything so I don't see why not" she replied. Her heart suddenly started to do backflips with excitement, her stomach erupting with butterflies. Dean felt the same, although the two never confided how nervous they actually were.

Just before 6:30pm, Dean knocked on Sam's door and entered, not waiting for a reply. Since their last discussion about their feelings towards Ashley, the relationship between the pair of them had found itself rectified. Sam had came to the conclusion that Ashley had merely seen him as a little brother, they had too much in common, were too compatible for their own good. "Dude, just come in why don't you" he said sarcastically, but laughed when he saw the unnerved expression on his brother's face. "Don't laugh at me Sammy" Dean said, his voice clearly nervous. "This is serious" he reminded his brother, "I really don't know what to wear!" With this Sam laughed uncontrollably for around two minutes. "Dude, you sound like a chick" Sam told him, "in fact you sound like the type of chick you'd avoid." With this Dean rolled his eyes and left his idiot of a brother's bedroom. Ashley had heard all of the commotion and popped her head out of her door. "Hey what's going on?" she asked Dean, noticing that he looked terrified. She opened her door wider, "look if you don't want to go tonight just say, we don't have to go" she explained, secretly hoping it was nothing to do with their date. She was dressed and ready to go, her brown hair straightened, with simple jeans and a pale blue silky top on. "What makes you think I don't want to go?" Dean asked, his anger at Sam turning into disappointment as he finished the sentence. "You just look stressed" Ashley admitted, "I didn't know if you were freaking out because of tonight and wanted to back out. Although I really hope that's not what's happening" she added. Dean shook his head, noticing what she was wearing. Her outfit was casual, nothing to jazzy. Just denim skinny jeans and an pastel blue t-shirt.

Sam popped his head out of his door, listening in to their conversation. "Oh it's not that," Sam began to explain, "he's just freaking out because he doesn't know what to wear. He wants to make his eyes stand out" and with that he burst into laughter again. Ashley shot him a stern look. "Go back in your bedroom Sam" she told him, scolding him for being mean to his brother. He smirked but did as she asked. Dean rolled his eyes, praying that the ground would just swallow him whole and save him the embarrassment of this situation. "Was he telling the truth?" Ashley asked quietly, concerned. Dean stomped into his bedroom like a moody teenager. She followed him in. "Hey it doesn't matter what you wear, as long as you're coming with me" she told him, realising how cliché her words sounded. "I just mean you don't have to feel uncomfortable in some monkey suit just because we're going on a date. I already know how you dress on a daily basis Dean; you don't have to try and impress me." And with that she kissed him on the cheek, knowing he was embarrassed, and walked out of his bedroom.

**Chapter 14**

Dean and Ashley looked at each other awkwardly as Dean turned off the engine of the Impala. They both knew this wasn't the type of restaurant they would feel comfortable in, or that either of them could afford. A hunter's salary was none existent, and although Ashley had started to help out at the local college, teaching several classes as a guest lecturer in mythology, it wasn't enough to support three people by anyone's standards. But it was an honest living. Something she had always hated was the credit card scams and poker games Uncle Bobby had made her take participate in, and she knew the boys had lived the same lifestyle before she had come into the picture.

"Dean we don't have to go in here" Ashley said, filling the silence, as a man dressed in a suit walked into the restaurant, his partner in a cocktail dress. Dean stayed silent, he didn't want to go in as much as she did but he wanted this to be special. "Here I know the perfect place just near here, I'll drive," Ashley told him, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car. Surprisingly Dean agreed, and after a short drive she pulled up outside of a restaurant that didn't look half as impressive. "This is where you want to go?" Dean asked, half relieved, it looked somewhere he would be comfortable in, and a lot more affordable than the first option. "Okay then, let's go," he told her, getting out of the car and opening her door before Ashley even had time to unbuckle her seatbelt. It was weird being alone with Dean, she thought to herself. There was only actually been a handful of times where the two of them had had a conversation without Sam being involved. She smiled to herself, looking forward to spending some time with just Dean.

As they entered the restaurant, Dean was shocked to see the interior. The outside of the building was very deceiving, and Dean had expected some dark, greasy table kind of place. In reality, it was light and open, with tables placed spaciously apart from each other, all pine furniture and quirky light displays with mason jars. As they were seated, the waitress attempted to flirt a little with Dean, although he didn't seem to notice. Ashley however definitely noticed, surprising herself with how much it bothered her, and how glad she was that Dean didn't seem to bat an eyelid. "Wow look at this place," Dean said, surprise clear in his voice. "The menus are on wooden clipboards, it's kinda awesome" he said with childhood glee, examining the menu with fascination. When studying what he was going to eat, he realised that the restaurant specialised in burgers, ranging from veggie to chicken. Of course his favourite was there, a double bacon cheeseburger. He looked at Ashley in awe, "this place is amazing. How did you find it?" She simply smiled; remembering that as soon as she walked into the place after teaching her first class a couple of weeks ago she thought to herself how much Dean would love the menu. "I just stumbled across it after work one day, its great isn't it. I knew you'd like it."

The waitress sauntered over, clearly trying to impress Dean, Ashley thought to herself. He was still looking at her in awe at how perfect this place was. He loved it! "So, are you ready to order?" she asked Dean, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder and sticking her chest out like a peacock trying to attract a mate. "Sure thing, I'll have the double bacon cheeseburger with a large side of chilli fries, some onion rings and a beer please. What do you want?" he asked, Ashley still hadn't actually decided. "Er I'll have the mozzarella melt please, with a side of curly fries and a beer as well." The waitress huffed to herself walking away, causing Ashley to stifle a laugh. "What's so funny?" Dean asked, clearly confused at her sudden outburst of laughter. "I think the waitress is a bit put out that you didn't try flirt with her" Ashley admitted, directing Dean to look over to the waiting station. Sure enough their waitress and another blonde girl were both talking and looking over in Ashley and Dean's direction. "She'll get over it" he told her, surprising both him and Ashley at how nonchalant he was over two attractive girls discussing him.

While eating their meals the conversation flowed naturally and Ashley thought to herself how daft she was to be worried that without Sam they wouldn't have anything to talk about. They mainly talked about their childhoods, their favourite memories of Bobby, and Sam and Dean's relationship. "Hey we better get going if we want to make that film" Dean said, suddenly realising the time but not making any move to leave. "Why don't we just order another couple of beers and give the movie a miss" Ashley suggested. Dean was surprised how easy going she was, especially after a couple of beers. 'Why wasn't she like this all the time?' he thought to himself as he ordered another two beers. Then it dawned on him, he had been so hard on her since she arrived, scrutinising her every decision from her meals to her research. He probably hadn't made it so easy for her to relax.

The pair sat in the restaurant until they were the last table left. The snooty blonde waitress came over and dumped their cheque on the table, clearly wanting them to leave. After paying, they made their way back to the car. "Here, let me drive home" Ashley insisted. "You've have four beers and I've only had two, I'm ok to drive back" she added. Dean tossed her the keys, and catching them with one hand and unlocking the Impala. As they drove back to the bunker Ashley glanced at Dean, who to her surprise was looking at her. "I had a really good time Dean, thank you for taking me out tonight" she smiled, telling him earnestly. "I did too, more than I was expecting" Dean replied. He glanced down at his hands awkwardly, wondering whether to think aloud. "Listen, I'm really sorry about how I acted when you first showed up, and every minute after. I know I must have made your life a living misery, I was a douche and I didn't make things easy for you." He glanced at her, her eyes glued to the road in front of her. "Thank you Dean" she eventually replied, "although I don't really blame you for the way you acted. And besides, it did make you slightly more endearing" she added, lightening the mood with her flirty tone. "Oh it did?" Dean asked, raising one eyebrow and grinning at her. As they pulled up outside of the house, Ashley realised that she didn't actually want the night to end. While she loved Sam like a brother, her time alone with Dean was more fun than she was expecting and she didn't want to go back to tiptoeing around Sam. Dean could see the trepidation in her face, and leaning in he kissed her deeply, inhaling her sweet scent. "Dean, I just want you to know that I'm not one of those girls who sleep over on the first date" she blurted out, feeling embarrassed as soon as the words left her mouth. This took Dean by surprise and he had to bite his tongue just to not laugh at the irony. "You do remember that we've already slept together" he told her "twice." She pulled a face at him, "I know, that was a lapse. I usually don't do that" she informed him, and she could tell that although he had made a comment he actually didn't mind. He proved that by leaning in to kiss her again. Eventually they left the confines of the Impala and ventured back into the house. Walking to their respective bedrooms they noticed that the light was off under Sam's bedroom door, he must have got bored in the house alone and called it a night.

"Well thank you for walking me to my door" Ashley joked, putting her arms around his neck and stretching up to reach his lips. "Hmm, you're very welcome" Dean purred back while returning the kiss. "You sure you don't want to continue the party?" he asked, but quickly added "I'm joking don't worry, I don't want to pressure you." Relieved, she smiled at him. "Maybe next time, if you're lucky" she told him as she winked, and walking into her bedroom. As Dean walked past he noticed that her door was slightly ajar the curve of her back visible as she changed for bed.

Ashley tossed and turned all night, wondering if she had made the right decision by not joining Dean. She had wanted to go with him, in fact she really wanted too. She was just worried what people would think of her if she walked out of his room in the morning. 'Not people' she thought to herself, 'just Sam'. Finally she sighed aloud, giving in . What did it matter what Sam thought of her, it was nothing to do with him. And so she slipped through Dean's door, and under his sheets, continuing from where his dream had finished.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 15**

The next few weeks after Ashley and Dean's date, the atmosphere in the house was good. Everyone enjoyed each other's company, there was no awkward silence, and Sam was even regretting being so harsh on Dean about the whole situation. However he could notice the difference in his brother. It started slowly, he would stay and drink in the motel instead of going to a bar, he would even help Sam do some of the research if Ashley was busy teaching her classes at the local college. But the time in between cases stretched longer. He was happier being at home rather than on a case, the complete opposite to before Ashley arrived when he couldn't relax unless he was hunting something. And after a case was finished he would be eager to drive straight home instead of celebrating like previously. Sam wanted to tell him that although he was in a relationship he didn't have to spend every waking minute with the girl. He began to feel uncomfortable. Spending time as the three of them he felt like a third wheel, like he was intruding on their time together. And when they were on a case he felt like Dean didn't want to be there anymore, like his mind was back at home. It was the only time he got to spend with his brother these days and it felt like he didn't want to be there. He never told Dean this though.

Sam was right, of course. Dean was distracted and distant, he knew it himself. Not while he was hunting, he would never put himself and his brother in danger like that. But when they were finishing a case, or done for the day, he didn't want to hit a bar and use bad chat up lines on some waitress. He just wasn't interested anymore. Initially this shocked him, with the realisation that he had finally grown out of it. Sure harmless flirting in diners and restaurants was still fun but at the end of the day he knew exactly where he wanted to be. He saw the concern in Sam's eyes, heard it in his voice. This surprised him, Dean thought that Sam would be happy about the exit of shady bars and even shadier women.

And so this is how their routine continued, and weeks stretched into months. Ashley had to admit she was a lot happier than when she had arrived back, it was truthfully the happiest she had been in years. But she was itching to stop hiding behind a computer and become a real hunter. Bobby had never let her, he always told her that he had to protect the only family he had left. She had a feeling that Dean would feel the same.

Her perfect opportunity to bring up the idea of her joining the brothers on a hunt was actually given by Sam. It started when they were all sitting in the kitchen eating the meal Ashley had prepared for them all. "So I found a possible interesting case a couple of hours drive away" he reported. "Cool" Dean said, his mouth full of chicken, "what're we killing?" he asked. "Actually it's a shape-shifter, I think. There have been a couple of witnesses saying that its eyes glowed white when it was recorded."

"A shape-shifter!' Dean exclaimed, "what's so interesting about a stupid shape-shifter?" Ashley raised an eyebrow, about to ask what his problem was with shape-shifter, but Sam shook his head. "Don't ask" he mouthed to her without Dean noticing, and she made a mental note to ask what run in with shape-shifters had made Dean hate them so much. "So how is the shape-shifter attracting witnesses?" Ashley asked, trying to change the subject now Dean was sulking. He hadn't liked the idea of meeting a shape-shifter again since one had used his identity to try and murder one of Sam's friends, he hated the things. "Well, it's kind of taken on the form of some celebrity, this Bieber kid, and is kidnapping and murdering women, and there's been footage showing it in public, catching the attention of the press and stuff. It started attracting attention to itself when one victim's roommate said that a celebrity had broken into a small towns college campus and kidnapped her friend. Thing is, it has a specific type of victim that it targets." "Oh yeh?" Dean asked, his interest peaking back up now. "Young attractive brunettes who live on the college campus, I thought we could ..." Sam was suddenly cut off by Dean. "Think of another plan Sammy, it's not happening" he warned. Ashley was suddenly confused, she hated it when they spoke to each other like this, it was as if they could read each other's mind. They often had conversations where Ashley literally couldn't keep up because they were only talking in half sentences. "Dean listen, I know you don't like the idea but it's a good plan" Sam told him calmly but Dean snapped back, "damn it Sammy. It's not going to happen" he shouted banging his fist on the table. With that Dean stood up and turned around, storming up to his room and slamming the door. "What was all that about?" Ashley asked, wondering how something so small had escalated so quickly.

Dean heard a small feeble knock on his bedroom door, and wondered which one it was. Before he had a chance to shout go away, Ashley popped her head around the door. "Are you ignoring me too?" she asked gently, clearly afraid of the conversation she was about to have. She walked over and sat next to him on his bed, placing her hand on his. "I want to go with you Dean, please let me do this" she told him quietly. Dean rolled his eyes, thinking of how stupid he was! Of course Sam was going to mention the idea to her; he shouldn't have left the two of them alone. "Look I know you're worried about me, trying to protect me or whatever. But I'm a big girl Dean, I can look after myself. Besides with you and Sam there nothings going to happen to me" she reassured him before he could say no. Dean refused to look at her, they both knew it made sense for her to go, to draw the shape-shifter in. But he hated the idea of using her as bait. And if anything went wrong ... He stopped that thought in its tracks, shaking his head. "Dean please" she begged. Leaning towards him she placed her lips on his shoulder, moving her lips up the bare skin of his neck and his jaw until they reached the corner of his mouth. Reluctantly Dean kissed her back. "Fine," he growled while forcefully pressing his lips on hers, and watched as they contorted into a smile. It made him so mad how happy she looked to putting herself in danger, and how much her powers of persuasion affected him. Instead of thinking about what danger he'd just agreed to put Ashley in, he buried himself in her instead.

**Chapter 16**

Laying in the empty silence Ashley wondered what had just happened. Dean's chest rose and fell rhythmically as he drifted off, and she began to think of all the reasons of why he agreed to use his own girlfriend as bait. The first of many was that he didn't care for her as much as she did, that in some way she was expendable. She shook her head, knowing that although neither of them had said it yet, he loved her enough to want to protect her from harm, that's why he stormed upstairs after Sam had suggested she joined them. Deep down she knew it was just simply because she had asked him, begged him, to let her go.

So the brothers and Ashley sat down to devise a plan of action. There was a letting in one of the college dorms that Ashley would use as her residence, try and draw the shape-shifter in. The boys would be there of course, watching her every move, and Ashley would be safe. It sounded full proof on paper, but Dean was still nervous about the whole situation.

On the drive down there, as Ashley was asleep in the back seat, Sam turned to Dean, noticing the nerves that seemed permanently etched on his brother's face. "She's going to be ok you know Dean" he said, trying to comfort his older brother. "She better be Sammy, because if she isn't this is all on you" he whispered forcefully. "You put the idea into her head. If anything happens it's you I'm going to blame" and with that they drove the rest of the way in silence.

"Hey Ash, wake up" Dean said shaking her shoulder gently. She groaned, not sleeping much the night before. "Don't make me" she said in a small childish voice, making Dean laugh. "Come on, you want to fight some monsters right?" He asked, enticing her. With that her eyes snapped open. "Too right I do" she replied, making Dean regret that he'd even asked the question. "Where's Sam?" she asked, noticing he was missing. "I dropped him off at the motel" Dean replied casually, but by his tone she knew they had been fighting. "I'm just here to drop you off at your new home, help you settle in and whatever." He was becoming distant, they both knew it. He didn't want her to be here and he was making it known. "Dean, I'll be ok. Stop worrying, please" she told him, stretching up to kiss his lips. "You better be" he mumbled; low enough that she could only just make out what he said. The thought made me smile, how protective he was.

After checking in and getting her room key, Dean helped her carry her bags up the stairs. "Home sweet home," he said sarcastically, sitting on her bed. "Ok so remember, call us if you need anything. We'll be on your tail the whole time. Here's a list of all the places the victims got abducted, so just carefully start digging. And remember, always have your GPS turned on on your phone, just in case." He kissed her quickly and passionately. "Hey, I love you" he told her. A huge smile spread across her face, yet she narrowed her eyes and asked, "You aren't just telling me that because it might be the last thing you say to me, are you?" "Hell no" he replied, "in fact it'll be the first thing I say to you when this whole thing is over." She knew he was telling the truth, "good, because I love you too" she told him earnestly. And with another quick kiss he was gone.

**Chapter 17**

It had been a couple of days since Ashley moved into the college dorms and it was hard grasping leads when the only people you could ask were students. They were more than willing to talk but their information wasn't exactly the most reliable. The only person she had had any luck with was a girl who had witnessed the abduction of her room-mate, Katie. Although she disappeared 12 hours after she had told Ashley her version of events and had shown up murdered the following day. She was getting no closer and it was frustrating!

Both Sam and Dean were in a similar position. They had come up with no plausible leads during their ruse of FBI agents, and tracking down the shifter seemed next to impossible. Dean was worried about Ashley constantly, and sulking with Sam at the same time. On the fourth night of the case, when Katie's body had been found, they had narrowed their search to the sewers below the dormitories. Ashley had found several links between the victims. So far they had been snatched in their apartment, and they had all lived on the ground floor. When Ashley had been into Katie's bedroom she saw a large grate on the bathroom floor and wondered if that's how the shifter was entering the rooms. With this, she quickly asked to be switched to the vacant apartment where Katie and her room-mate were taken.

Ringing Dean to tell him about her progress, she reached his voicemail. "Hey, it's just me. I've switched apartments because I think I know how it's getting in. I've moved in Katie's room. Ring me back when you get this. I love you." Hanging up, she went in the shower after checking that the grate looked securely in place.

Five minutes prior to this, Dean and Sam were tracking the shape-shifter when they found the familiar slime as when they shed their skin. "Dean look at this" Sam whispered, lifting some of it with his knife. "I think we're getting closer." Dean leaned in to examine the remains with Sam; however a sharp kick in his back knocked him forward, landing on Sam. Glancing back he saw what he imagined to be the shape-shifter running off, although he did not get a clear look at its face. "Come on, let's go" Sam said running after it. Dean followed, but after five minutes there was no sign of it. "Damn it" Dean shouted, I'm going to ring Ashley, tell her it's using the sewers" he said once he'd calmed down.

As soon as Ashley got out of the shower she reached for her phone. Still no word from Dean. She quickly got dressed and ran her fingers through her wet hair before heading back into the bedroom area. She hadn't even unpacked her things, hoping the case would be solved before she had the chance to settle in. Opening the door from the bathroom to the bedroom, she jumped in shock. "Dean! What are you doing here?" she asked. "I got your message when I was keeping watch outside. I don't like you being in this room, the lock was broken, I got straight in" he replied. She looked at him carefully, something seemed off. For a start the lock was perfectly fine, she knew that because she had checked it herself. Secondly, and it seemed daft but she noticed, he was wearing shoes she had never seen before. She didn't want to raise alarm but she was becoming more and more aware that the person sitting on her bed was not her boyfriend. Walking over the drawers where she had hidden her silver knife she asked "how's Sam?", not wanting to draw attention to herself. She had left it on top of her socks, but opening the drawer Dean's voice suddenly filled the room. "Looking for this?" He asked. Spinning around she saw him holding the knife, the handle wrapped in a sock so that it was not in contact with his skin. "You know you're very easy to read, you should probably work on that" he suggested while pushing her back. Ashley hit her head on the cupboard behind her, and could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. Her last sight was Dean standing over her, an evil smile stretching across his face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 18**

As the two brothers were getting cleaned up in their motel room from their trip in the sewers, Sam's phone begun to vibrate violently on the table. "Sam is that you?" Ashley asked, panic stricken. "Is Dean ok? I've rang him like 600 times and he hasn't answered" she added, as Dean walked over and took the phone off him. "Hey it's me. Are you ok?" he asked her earnestly, he was so happy to hear her voice, to know that she was alive. "I'm fine, what's happened to your phone?" she asked, her tone becoming more annoyed than relieved, "I've been worried sick, I've been calling you for hours" she asked, and he rolled his eyes, waiting for the lecture. "I lost my phone. I'm not sure where it is. We got close to the shifter though" he told her. "That's what I was ringing about, I found out how it's collecting its victims, and where it's taking them, I can show you where it is" she notified him. "We need to meet up now, I think it's taken another girl, I heard screams coming from her room." Dean had stopped listening to what she was saying, blood ringing in his ears. "You did what!" he yelled through the mouthpiece. He couldn't even control his anger right now. "What were you thinking? Do you know how much danger you've put yourself in, as if being bait wasn't enough." He was livid. "Dean calm down, please!" Ashley's voice pleaded down through the handset, "I tried to call you first, I couldn't reach you. What was I expected to do?" Dean couldn't think of anything to say, remaining silent. "Look I'm at the library now, the sewer entrance is close to here, just come and meet me?" she finally asked, "I missed you Dean" she added in a small voice. "I missed you too" Dean replied, sighing, still grumpy from Ashley's adventures, "We'll be right there."

Ashley sat on the cold stone steps of the library as the Impala pulled up. The two brothers didn't get out of the car straight away, she wondered if they were discussing a plan of action, of what they were going to do when the found the shifter. Eventually they stepped out of the car, closing the doors in unison. She smiled to herself; it always amazed her how in unison they were. "Come on, show us the entrance" Dean ordered, walking straight past her. He was still mad at her; not bringing himself to look at her pained expression.

Wading through the water, Dean was about 5 meters in front of Sam and Ashley. "He's still mad at me," Ashley said bluntly, her face falling as she stared ahead at him. "He'll be alright once we've finished this case don't worry. He just doesn't like shape-shifters that's all" Sam replied, "he got stung by one before." Ashley's face initially looked puzzled and she stopped walking as Sam turned back to look at her. "The case in Missouri right? I saw that in his memories, when I was tricking Ashley into thinking I was her precious Dean" the shifter sneered as Sam reached for his gun. He was too late; the shifter had already hit him with the butt of her gun, knocking him unconscious on the ground.

"Sam" she screamed, as Dean ran back towards them. "I don't know what happened," she told Dean frantically, "I heard a noise and when I turned round he was on the floor." Dean bent down to feel for his pulse, "dammit Sammy" he sighed, "he's alive, the shaper must have got the jump on him." Worry flickered across Ashley's face. "What are we going to do now?" she asked, "I don't want to leave Sam, especially if it's so close to us" she told him. Dean searched the surrounding area for an exit up to the side-walk. "Ok we'll go up here, I'll take Sam somewhere and then we're coming back down here. I'm finishing this once and for all" Dean growled through his teeth, determined to catch the monster before it hurt Ashley too.

Once they had found a car to break into and lay Sam across the back seat, they went back to find the shifters lair, Dean leading the way. "Are you sure we're ok to just leave Sam like that?" Ashley asked as they waded through the murky water, "I don't like leaving him unprotected" she explained. "He'll be ok, besides the shifter will be down here" he told her, trying to boost her confidence. However he was beginning to doubt his own words. They walked further into the maze of sewers, eventually coming into a larger opening. "Stay close" Dean ordered to Ashley as they scoped out the lair. Ashley gasped, her hands clasping her mouth and she saw the bodies of the victims strung up in a line. They kept moving, but there was no sign of the shifter. "Damn it" Dean cried, clueless to the whereabouts of the monster they were trying to kill. In the emptiness of the sewers, a phone started to ring. "Dean, that's your ringtone. It's got your phone" Ashley whispered as they searched for it. Lying in a puddle of flesh and goo, they found it, the screen lighting up. Wiping it against his jeans he checked the screen. 1 voice-mail. "I thought you said you phoned me like what, 6oo times. I've got once voice-mail off of you" he told Ashley, anger building again. "Hey, it's just me," Ashley's voice-mail begun, "I've switched apartments because I think I know how it's getting in. I've moved in Katie's room. Ring me back when you get this. I love you."

**Chapter 19**

"I thought you said you'd heard screams and that's how you found out about the grates in the floor?" Dean asked, confusion clear on his face. "You sounded pretty calm there to me." A grin contorted across Ashley's, "Oh she was calm, until you appeared in her bedroom after she'd goten out of the shower" the shifter reported casually. "It was the perfect plan; you never even doubted each other. Of course, I got a couple of things wrong with you; apparently the shoes I picked gave it away. That's what she said before I carved her up." Dean reached for his gun, "kill me and I won't tell you where she is" the shifter said to Dean, taunting the hunter. "Not that it's going to be much good, she might have already bled out" she finally added.

"What and I'm just meant to believe you? For all I know it's a trick and she's fine" Dean responded, although the fear in his voice ruined his positive bravado. "Thought you would say that Deano, I put a little evidence on your phone just in case" the monster retorted. As Dean clicked onto his videos he saw himself and Ashley in a college bedroom. "Say hi to Dean," he heard his voice retort. "Bite me," Ashley spat at him, and Dean's chilling laugh filled the room. "Oh you've got the wrong monster sweetheart, I don't do no biting" he replied coldly, plunging the knife into her stomach as she screamed. The video had reached its end yet her scream rang in his ears. "You son of a …" Dean started but the shifter placed its hand over his mouth, "now now, let's not get nasty" it ordered. "You'll never get her back then" it added, shaking its head at Dean and tutting. "Listen, let's just stop all the niceties and get down to business. I'll give you your precious girlfriend, with one condition. You let me walk out of here. Do we have a deal?" it challenged. Dean simply nodded his head. "I'd heard rumours that you Winchester brothers were a sucker for family, I didn't expect some tart to affect you the way little Sammy does. Guess I was wrong" it sniggered.

Dean followed the monster through one of the sewer ways to a smaller clearing. Ashley, the real one, was tied up to a pole, blood covering her lower abdomen, her face pale. He ran to her, forgetting about the monster standing behind him. "I am so, so sorry Ashley" he sobbed as he untied her, his arms wrapping themselves around her, trying to halt the bleeding. "Can you hear me?" he asked with desperation in his voice.

Ashley was fading in and out of consciousness. She knew she had lost a lot of blood and for a while now she felt like she was swimming in an icy lake, getting dragged to the bottom no matter how much she kicked and fought. But she kept going, because she could swear she had heard Dean's voice. "Come on Ashley" he begged to her, "don't you dare give up" he ordered, "you listening to me? I love you Ashley" he sobbed. "Dammit open your eyes!" And so she swam through the heavy water, her limbs aching. She wanted to see his face, to tell him it was all going to be ok. Most of all, she wanted to tell him that she loved him too, more than anything.

At the same time as the events below him were unfolding, Sam began to regain consciousness in the car where he had been left. 'Dammit' he thought to himself as he remembered his last conversation. He had to warn Dean, or save him. Either way, he knew he had to find Ashley too. Grasping his phone he quickly selected the app which located the GPS of both Ashley and Dean's phones, running back into the sewers. They were both in the same place, which meant that they were either together, or the shifter had both of their phones. Either way he followed the trail, hearing Dean's voice. "I'm so, so sorry Ashley" he could hear the pain in his brothers voice. Turning the corner he saw Dean clutching at a wounded Ashley as the shifter ran away. Pulling out his gun, he aimed for the monster's head and pulled the trigger, aiming for its skull. As the silver bullet erupted from its barrel he heard his older brother whispering to Ashley that he loved her, that she had to wake up. The bullet spun through the air, hitting the back of the shifters head and ricocheting through its skull, killing it instantly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 20**

"Dean come on, we can't stay here. We need to get Ashley some help" Sam warned his brother, who was falling apart in front of him. "Dean!" he shouted, breaking Dean from his sorrow. "Let's go" Dean said gruffly, taking his plaid shirt off and wrapping in around Ashley's wound, trying to stop the blood, and then carefully picking her up, cradled her in his arms. Her blood began to soak through the grey t-shirt he had on underneath his shirt. The two brothers ran as fast as they could, but Dean froze as her stepped over the corpse of the shape-shifter, still in the skin of Ashley. "Dean, come on. I'll come back on clean the place up once we get Ashley to the hospital" he ordered his older brother, snapping him out of his trance.

"We need help" Sam shouted as they entered the hospital. Nurses flocked around the brothers, taking Ashley's limp body out of Dean's cradling arms and onto a gurney. "We need to know what happened" one nurse asked, as Sam filled the staff in. A mugging, they stabbed her, not sure how much blood she'd lost. All Dean could do was sit, in a daze. He was so angry, at Ashley for putting herself in danger, with Sam for finding the case in the first place. But most of all he was angry at himself, for letting Ashley go through with it, mostly for not realising that the shape-shifter was crawling in his own girlfriend's skin.

In a blur of motion the nurses asked Sam what relationship they had with the victim, with the nurse then came to sit with Dean. She took his hand and he looked at her with desperation in his eyes. She had a friendly face, and she was older. She almost reminded him of his own mother Mary. "Hi Dean, I'm Claire and I'm going to be assisting with Ashley's surgery once she's prepped. It sounds like she's lost a lot of blood but we're going to go right ahead and patch her up again, alright?" she asked, a motherly tone to her question. "You just stay put" she told him firmly, "I'll be out to update you as soon as I can." With that she stood up and walked through the double doors, and Dean was left waiting. Sam walked up to his brother, two coffees in hand. "Dean drink this, it'll make you feel better" he told him, not used to being on the caring end of this situation. Of course, he knew all too well how Dean was feeling; it was just unusual for the brothers to be facing it together. It was usually one brother sitting alone while the other was needing medical attention. But tonight, they could put on a united front and support each other. Right after Sam went back to the sewer to clean up the mess they had made down there.

"Dean, I'll be right back ok" Sam told him, knocking him out of his trance. He felt numb all over, he felt like he was simply dreaming, witnessing the chaos of the hospital without actually being there himself. "I've got to go clean up the mess we made, pin all these murders on that Bieber kid. I don't know why but I hate that douche. I'd love to punch him in the face!" he joked, trying to lighten the mood. He could tell from his brother's face that it didn't work.

**Chapter 21**

It had taken almost an hour for Sam to finish and return back to the hospital. He had just reunited with Dean when the nurse came out. "Hey boys, we're just finishing up now. She lost a lot of blood, we had to give her two transfusions, but luckily there was little damage to her internal organs that we couldn't fix with some stitches. She was very lucky, but the severe blood loss made her weak. Unfortunately her body couldn't cope with the stress and her pregnancy terminated itself. I'm sorry for your loss Dean, but in the meanwhile Ashley has a lot of recovery to do, and she'll need your help."

"Hold up, I'm sorry what?" Dean spluttered as Sam simply stared in disbelief. "You've got to be mistaken, Ashley wasn't pregnant. She can't have lost a baby" he told her forcefully. "I'm afraid she was Dean" nurse Claire replied, placing her hand on Dean's arm in an attempt to calm him down. "She was approximately five weeks, she might not have even known herself" the nurse continued to explain. "We noticed it in her routine bloodwork before the surgery began." The two brothers looked at each other, confusion spread equally across their faces. "I've got to go" Dean said, turning on the spot and storming out. "Dean!" Sam shouted, chasing after his brother. "Dean what am I going to tell her if she wakes up, that you've just left her?" he asked harshly, "you can't run from this Dean" he shouted after him as Dean kept walking further away.

Embarrassed, Sam turned round to find the nurse again. "Do you know where she'll be taken?" he asked, choosing to ignore the one sided conversation he had just had with his older brother. Following the nurse out of the waiting area he turned with one last glimpse of hope to see that Dean had not came to his senses and returned after all.

**Chapter 22 **

Dean opened the door to the Impala and put his keys into the ignition. Yet he couldn't bring himself to start the engine and drive. He knew that he needed to stay. He needed to support Ashley like the nurse had told him. But he couldn't face her, not yet. If she had known she was pregnant and still chose to put herself in that position then he didn't know her as well as he thought he did. Just the shock of the pregnancy itself was a lot to mentally absorb. Since the whole Lisa and Ben situation, and how that had came to an end, Dean had never thought about the possibility of having a family. He had cut those painful memories out of his life as best as he could, knowing they were moving on without knowing about Dean's very existence. With Ashley he knew he was happy, but did she want a family? Was this pregnancy intentional? Dean couldn't think of her like that, it must have been an honest mistake. But it was something that they needed to talk about. There was something else that had bothered him. The only child he had ever fathered was a monster. Emma, his 'daughter', was conceived by an Amazon, and although he didn't see her as his daughter, biologically she was. What if every child he conceived was set out to be the same. A monster. He shook his head, going crazy with doubt.

He wasn't sure how long he sat in his car, staring out into the dark car park. His phone suddenly vibrated with a text from Sam. It simply stated 'the nurses think she's going to wake up soon.'

He stepped out of his car, kicking himself that he didn't even stay to see what area of the hospital she had been taken too. Sam clearly read his mind with a second text seconds later reading 'she's in intensive care, the front desk will point you to her.' He was seriously mad at his brother; Dean could feel the icy tone through his cell. He wasn't surprised though, and guilt stabbed through his heart as he suddenly thought of Bobby. Would Bobby be pleased that he was dating his niece? Dean had thought about this a couple of times, but always tried to distract himself from the idea. Because he knew the answer, Bobby didn't want her to hunt; he wanted to keep her behind the books and out of the action. So dating a hunter probably wasn't what he had in mind. But most of all, he certainly wouldn't want Dean knocking her up, putting her in danger, and then abandoning her.

**Chapter 22**

Dean poked his head round the corner of the door, as Sam's head suddenly snapped around to see who was approaching. "I text you like two seconds ago, where were you?" he asked, frustration echoing clearly in his voice. "I was sat in the Impala, I needed to clear my head but I couldn't bring myself to go anywhere" Dean admitted as Sam rolled his eyes. "Great, so I had to sit here and hope to myself that _your_ girlfriend didn't wake up and see only me sitting beside her" Sam shot back tartly, "I've been here to two hours man! I'm starving; I need to use the can. But I've been too afraid to leave her side in case she woke up alone because the one person she thought she could rely on wasn't here!" He stood up and walked out of the room, anger convulsing throughout his body. Dean had made the decision to maintain a relationship with Ashley, and Sam had gotten over the initial annoyance about it. But he wasn't here just to clean up after Dean's mess every time something went wrong, he thought to himself as he grabbed a salad from the canteen. It looked brown and soggy but at least it was something to eat. He contemplated bringing something for Dean, realising he hadn't ate either, but he was too mad at him. Walking past the window to go back into the room he saw Dean sitting in the chair where Sam had until recently been. There was several changes however, Dean had pulled the chair closer to Ashley's bed, and was holding her hand. A silent tear ran down his brother's face. Sam coughed, making his presence known, as Dean composed himself.

It took about 15 minutes before both Sam and Dean noticed the flickering of Ashley's eyes. "We need a nurse" Sam shouted into the corridor as Dean gripped her hand tightly, as if that would drag her back to consciousness faster. "Ash, can you hear me?" Dean asked tentatively as she let out a low groan through her teeth. "I'm here" he murmured to her, stroking her arm. He had come to the realisation when Sam left the room that he would have never of forgiven himself if she'd woken up to find just Sam sat by her bedside.

"Dean?" she asked her voice croaky and weak. "I'm here Ash" Dean replied, stroking her hair as he fought back tears. Sam rolled his eyes. Half an hour ago he wasn't even in the room, now he was acting like he'd been playing the role of concerned boyfriend since she had gotten out of her surgery. Sam knew the pregnancy shock had shaken Dean, but he strongly believed that if he was in that position he would be sat holding the hand of his loved one, not sulking like a teenager in his car. He suddenly became very uncomfortable, realising he was the third wheel to almost every intimate and emotional event throughout their entire relationship. "I'm going to go get her some water" he told Dean, needing some air from this suffocating realisation. Dean nodded, concern for his little brother etched upon his face.

Sam walked past several water coolers, not wanting to turn around and go back into that room. So he walked, and he walked, and he walked. He walked for about 20 minutes, and then decided that he should probably head bacl. As he entered again, with a small cup of cold water, he realised he was too late, she'd already fallen back to sleep.

"How long did she stay awake for?" Sam asked curiously, silently hoping that he had missed the awkward conversation about the pregnancy. "About 2 seconds," Dean replied, "I text you and said the water was no use, you must have had no signal. Sam sighed, "so you didn't manage to ask about the pregnancy then?" He asked obtusely, as it suddenly struck Dean that this was the reason why he took so long to return. "I didn't have a chance, the nurse asked her a couple of questions but she must have zonked right out. I'm scared Sammy" his older brother admitted. Sam's face mashed into confusion and bewilderment. Dean saw that he was going to have to explain, verbally communicate his emotions. Something neither of the brothers were good at. "What if she knew that she was pregnant, yet still put herself in that position" he questioned. "If she did, then she's not the person I thought I knew" Dean stated. "We never talked about it, if she wanted kids or not. What if she did, what if this was her way of telling me?" he continued, feeling like he was rambling but it made him feel slightly better to think his emotions aloud.

"Dean, do you really think she would do that?" Sam asked with doubt in his voice. "She loves you, but she wouldn't try and trick you into having a baby!" He stared at his brother in disbelief, was that really the theory that was stuck in his head. "Honestly Dean, I don't think she had any idea. I mean she's the most sensible, practical person I know. She wouldn't put herself in danger if she'd have known. In fact she would have done everything in her power to have a healthy pregnancy. So you should try and shake that idea out of your head before you go in and accuse her of trying to trap you with a baby." Dean opened his mouth to argue back, but he couldn't find the words. He knew every word that had come out of his brother's mouth was probably true. "Come on, let's go get some food" Sam suggested, his salad failing to satisfy his appetite. "I'm sure we'll be back before she even wakes up again, and I saw they had pie."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 23**

Ashley's recovery was a slow process and Dean became more and more distant since their first conversation. It was not only Ashley that had noticed this, with Sam pulling him to one side the day before Ashley was due to be released. "Dean what's going on?' He asked his older brother, concern etched upon his face. "You're supposed to be supporting Ashley and you're acting like she doesn't exist" he said to his brother with brutal honesty. It didn't improve the situation, sending Dean further into himself.

The icy silence continued after Ashley was discharged and they drove back to Kansas. Dean had reverted back to the days of sitting alone in his room, while Ashley slowly recovered from both the physical and emotional wounds that her first hunting trip had caused. It became apparent that her admittance to the possibility of her wanting children had caused their relationship to wilt and die in Dean's eyes. This was his was of cutting the ties, Ashley decided a week after they had returned to the bunker. Slowly she packed her belongings into bags, her stitches protesting, and stored them in the spare car. If he did not speak to her before the end of the day then she would just leave without saying goodbye, she decided. It was better that way, instead of the awkward silences and tears that she knew would be inevitable. The day faded into night and she knew that it was her time to leave. Sneaking downstairs she grabbed the keys and drove off into the night, turning of her GPS. She knew it would be Sam who would find her dark and empty room, try and track her down. He had been her rock for the past week, doing everything he could for her. It was unfair on him that the brother she relied on the most was shutting himself out. That she wanted it to be Dean, not Sam that walked through her bedroom door with her pain medication and a cold drink every morning. But he never came, and every day that she had remained there caused her heart to shatter with the realisation that he had stopped caring.

**Chapter 24**

Sam brayed on Dean's door, waking him from his trancelike state. Slamming the door against the wall, he shouted at Dean. "What the hell did you say to her?" Dean just stared at him, confusion clear on his face. "She's gone Dean, she packed up her things and she's left. Are you happy now?" he continued shouting. Dean stood up and strode out of his room. Opening her bedroom door, he realised that his brother was right. The room was bare. The only item was a white envelope on her bedside table. He opened it cautiously, and began reading her handwritten scrawl.

"Dean" the letter read, "I'm not sure how long I'll have been gone before you find this, but I wanted to say goodbye. I couldn't do it in person, I couldn't face you" she admitted, and he immediately knew that the letter was going to be filled with angst and harsh words. Which is why the next line surprised him. "I'm not mad at you Dean, I know you probably won't believe me but I'm not. I understand." The letter went on to explain that although she didn't want to leave, she knew it was the right thing to do. It wasn't fair to Dean to stay in this relationship if they wanted different outcomes. She told him that she had already forgave him, and that someday she hoped he would forgive her too. "I love you Dean," she signed the letter, "always will." He needed to find her, but without knowing when she had left or how he didn't have much hope.

"The spare car is missing" Sam informed Dean as he stood alone in her room. He racked his mind, thinking of places that she might go. He was unaware of how familiar she was with the area, what alias she might have used. Sam was also trying to conjure an idea of where she would be. "We could report the car as stolen" Sam suggested, "see if the cops pull the plates and find the car." It was the best idea they had, but Dean didn't feel comfortable doing so. Instead they rode around local motels looking for the car parked up. It took two hours but eventually they found it, in a themed motel an hour's drive north from the bunker.

Dean asked the lady on reception which room Ashley was in, explaining that she was his girlfriend. At first she was reluctant to tell him, but after seeing the desperation in his eyes, and photographic proof of the two of them together, he found it. He banged his fist hard on the door. Sam had agreed that he should drive the other car home and Dean would drive Ashley back in the Impala.

Eventually the door opened slightly, the chain attached to the wall. "Dean, you don't need to be here, just go home" Ashley murmured. He noticed her face was pasty, with a glisten of sweat across her forehead. "Just let me in Ashley, please" he begged. She opened her mouth to argue, closing it again. She closed the door and Dean thought to himself that she wasn't going to open it, yet eventually she opened the door fully. "Dean, please. Just go. You don't have to do this" she repeated breathlessly. He walked into her motel room, noticing that she hadn't unpacked her things from the car yet. This was good, at least he'd have to take her back to the bunker, he thought. "Ashley, just sit down and listen to me" Dean instructed. "I've been an idiot, and I'm sure you hate me, but just please let me explain myself" he told her and she breathed heavily, wincing in pain as she sat on the bed. "You were wrong with what you put in your letter you know" he assured her, "I don't want this to end. I'm just a douche who can't communicate his feelings." He paused and took a breath. "Look, I know I should have been the one who sat by your bed every day, helping you to recover. It was a lot to get my head around and I just needed to sit and think. I was selfish but I'm ready now. For whatever you want. Baby, no baby, you're the most important thing in my life and I don't care what happens as long as you're by my side." As he finished Ashley rolled her eyes. "It took until I left for you to realise that?" she asked, the hurt showing through her voice. "Dean you abandoned me the minute you found out I was pregnant. You separated yourself from me and chose to hole up in your room instead of talk to me about it. So excuse me for not believing a single word that you've just said." Naively he wasn't expecting her to be so hurt due to the cool and collective language of her letter. "It just threw me that you would have considered keeping the baby if the accident hadn't have happened. I was scared we wanted different things. That we'd end up resenting each other because life didn't turn out the way we wanted" Dean admitted. "I had just came out of surgery, with god knows what pumping round my system Dean, do you really think that was the only time we should have talked about it!" Ashley said, trying not to raise her voice. "I'd been told, after all those years, that I'd managed to get pregnant. That was a miracle in itself. And then finding out that my own body had sabotaged me, I wasn't in the right frame of mind to be discussing life plans with my boyfriend, yet that was the only opportunity you gave me Dean." She faltered, face grimacing with the pain.

"Let me look at your stitches" Dean commanded, choosing to ignore the hurt look in her eyes. "I'm fine Dean" Ashley snapped back, yet she knew this wasn't true. Too much heavy lifting had altered the lining of her stitches. She could feel her flesh ripping apart. "Ashley, show me them," Dean ordered again, ignoring her protests. As she carefully lifted up her t-shirt, she saw the damage she had caused. Her white bandage was soaked red, and her hands began to shake. "Come on," Dean said, placing one arm under hers and helping her to stand up. They made it to the Impala before she fainted, and he rushed to the nearest hospital. His face was pale. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her now because of this, because of the actions he had forced her into choosing. He slammed his foot down on the accelerator as the wheels screeched loudly, racing against the clock to get her there on time.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 25**

Ashley eyes flickered and opened, as she tried to discover where she was. The last thing she remembered was struggling to get to the Impala with Dean. He must have brought her to the hospital, the sterile smell and white washed walls gave that away. Trying to sit up the pain became so excessive that she decided against it, her eyes wildly searching for somebody. She noticed Dean sitting on her left hand side. His head was resting on her bed, his hand over hers. His mouth was slightly ajar, and a light snoring was coming from his direction. She stilled, trying not to wake him but wanting to notify the nurses that she was awake.

She noticed she didn't feel as groggy as the last time she had woken up in a hospital and noticing a clock in the corridor outside she could just make out that it was around 4:30am. Visitors weren't permitted to stay in a patient's room this late and her face screwed up tight wondering what had made Dean an exception. Feeling uncomfortable she shifted her position on the bed, making Dean stir from his depths of his slumber.

Dean sat up suddenly, observing Ashley. He wasn't sure if she even wanted him to be there, or how angry she was with him. After observing what he had observed in the hospital his anger had simply melted away. "Hi" he said, still unsure of her opinion of him. She squeezed his hand. "Hi," she said back in a small voice, smiling at him embarrassed. "How're you feeling?" Dean asked tentatively, "do you want me to go get a nurse?" Ashley nodded, wanting someone to explain what had happened to her.

As Dean left she noticed that she felt different to the last time she had woken up in a similar environment. Her eyes were wide open, and she felt very aware of her surroundings. This was a sharp contrast to the last time, where she had to use all her willpower to stop herself from falling back asleep. Maybe they had used different drugs, she wondered to herself as a male nurse walked in.

"There you are, it's nice to see you awake. You've given us quite a scare tonight" he informed her, smiling at Dean. Dean didn't smile back, and Ashley's face crumbled with confusion. What exactly had happened to make Dean look so perplexed and nervous? "What happened to me?" she asked, as Dean came and sat beside her, taking her hand. "Well when Dean brought you in your heartbeat was very weak, we had to stabilise you before we could take you into the E.R. I'm not sure how but you managed to tear every stitch and suture that they had given you during your last surgery. We had to start completely from scratch. When they told you to take it easy they weren't kidding Ashley" he joked lightly even though it was a serious manner. Dean squeezed her hand, no wonder he looked so exhausted. She thought about how difficult it must have been for him. The last time he was sat in a hospital watching the women he loved fighting for her life, her memory was wiped and she had forgotten all about him. He never wanted to be in that position again, he had made that clear to her as he was making it known how dangerous hunting actually was.

"Now we have to keep an eye on your heart rate and blood pressure" the nurse added, "You'd only been in here about 30 minutes after your surgery when your heard stopped. So we have to keep a close watch on your levels" he informed her. Shock pulsed through her system, no wonder they had let Dean stay in her room, they didn't think she was going to make it through the night. After talking her through the list of drugs she would be given in the next couple of hours, he left the room, leaving just Dean and Ashley alone. "I'm so sorry Dean" Ashley finally told him, her voice filling the empty room. He looked at her, pain in his eyes. "Just don't die in front of me every again ok?" he told her seriously. She smiled slightly. Although the recent issues in their relationship had been deafening she hoped that they could get past it together.

Over the days her heart grew stronger, and after three days in hospital she was finally released. Once home it was clear that Dean was trying to make up for his behaviour. He became strict on what she ate, what she drank, when and how she slept. Although it was nicer than the previous behaviours Dean had adopted, she kind of missed Sam taking care of her, he was a little more relaxed. When she told Dean this he reminded her that he didn't do a very good job because she ended up busting her incisions open again. Part of her wanted to remind him that it wouldn't have been the case if she didn't feel like she had to move of all her belongings out of the house, but she didn't want to bring up those bad memories. Sam kept his distance, finding small cases to keep him occupied. He was so angry at Dean for again expecting him to fulfil his roles and then come back as if nothing had ever happened, again. He was glad to be taking his frustration out on monsters.

Days turned into weeks and Ashley attended weekly hospital appointments to check how her wounds were healing a second time round. Dean attended every meeting with her, holding her hand and giving her the moral support that she needed. But he hadn't been on a case since the shifter and she could feel him becoming more restless. The day before her last appointment Sam had found a possible case of witchcraft. Walking to the bathroom, she heard Sam explaining the case to Dean, asking whether he was coming. "Look Sammy, she's got one more check-up and then I'll start hunting again" Dean said, and she could tell from their tones that they had argued about this before. "It's her last one, I can't miss it," he added, but Sam cut him off. "Exactly, it's her last one. Why do you need to be there? It's just going to be final checks and then she's good." Sam did have a point. Ashley knew he didn't need to be with her. Besides she wanted him to go. He was becoming like a drill sergeant with his routine of what she could or couldn't. She needed a little time to herself.

As they were getting ready for bed that night Ashley approached the subject. "I saw Sam packing up the car to go on a case, do you not want to go with him?" she asked, trying to sound uninterested. "I'll go with him on the next one" Dean replied, although secretly he did actually want to get out of the confines of the bunker. It would be good to kill some monsters! "You don't have to come to my appointment with me tomorrow you know Dean" Ashley said kindly, "I know you like to hold my hand but I can manage this last one by myself, I promise." Dean sighed, realising what she was trying to do. "You trying to get rid of me?" he asked, half joking. "Of course not Dean!" she replied, getting under the covers, "I just think it would do you good to go out, to go hunting. I'm so much better now than what I was, it's been weeks. I don't need the constant supervision." Dean also got into bed. Before the incident with the shape-shifter her would have hugged her, his hands running up and down her body. Tonight he just simply kissed her cheek. "I'll go on the next case" he repeated to her, reaching to turn off the light. "Dammit Dean if you don't go I'm not going to go to my appointment" Ashley finally said exasperated.

Dean laughed, bewildered by her sudden outburst. Realising that her words were not meant to be taken as a joke he found himself even more confused. Ashley sighed, "I'm sorry Dean" she eventually apologised. "You've been great with the way you've looked after me, you really have. But I can't stand it any more" she explained. "It's not that I don't appreciate it" she continued, taking a deep breath, "and I know this is better than how you were before. It's just really hard work being your patient." Dean shifted his weight on the bed, turning to face her. "Listen," he said quietly, placing his hands on either side of her face. "I'm sorry if I've been too full on. Seeing your heart stop, it just pushed me other the edge. I don't want anything to happen to you" he finally explained, kissing her gently on the forehead. She smiled at him, stretching her neck to reach his lips. "I'm ok Dean, really. Trust me. Besides it's my last one, you don't really need to be there." It was the first intimate moment that they had had since they had returned from the shape-shifter case. "I missed this," Ashley told him, breathing in his smell. "I haven't been anywhere" he replied, confusion clear in his voice. "I know," Ashley replied, nuzzling herself into his chest, "you just haven't let me touch you since the hospital." And with that they both drifted into a dreamy unconsciousness.

**Chapter 26**

"Ashley, nice to see you" the doctor that she had been dealing with told her as she entered the small consulting room. "No Dean today?" she casually asked, although Ashley was sure she had noticed a flicker of disappointment on her face. "He's been called into work. He wasn't going to go in but I forced him. He's been a bit full on about the whole recovery thing" she explained. It felt good to get it off her chest. "Well I'm not surprised, you didn't take your recovery too well initially" the doctor Katherine said, raising one eyebrow. Of course she was talking about the heavy lifting, which caused her stitches to tear. The excuse Dean had come up with was that she was decorating before the accident and couldn't deal with a half decorated room. So while he was away on business she had tried to finish decorating it. He hadn't consulted Ashley on it, and during her first conversation with her surgeon after the surgery he had asked her if it was worth it and did the room look good. She face must have shown the confusion as he further added that her husband had told him how she had caused so much damage to herself. She didn't bother to correct the husband part of the sentence, feeling her insides tingle and blood rush to her face. And so that was the story she was forced to go with.

"Let's have a look at those stitches" Katherine said, forcing her attention back to the present day. "Are they tender" she asked, swiftly placing her fingers around Ashley's abdomen. Ashley didn't look at her stomach, now scarred with several long but uneven slits. She simply shook her head. "You will be left with some scarring" the doctor told her, although it should be very minimal and fade with time. She must have noticed Ashley's avoidance to look at her tummy. "I can refer you to a psychologist" she suggested, "if you are having issues with the look of your wounds." Ashley shook her head. She would be shipped to crazy-town if a shrink saw inside her head. Instead she simply replied "I'll be ok, but thank you." Just as she thought the session was over, Katherine said to her, "ok Ashley, I just need you to lie down on the bed so I can remove your outer-stitches." Panic took hold of her body, "excuse me" she said. She hadn't thought of the stitches ever needing to be taken out. "Unfortunately the surgeon didn't use dissolving stitches so they have to manually taken out. I know it's unpleasant but if they stay in any longer they have more chance of becoming infected." Instantly she wished Dean had put up more of a fight to attend this last check-up. Lying on the bed she felt sick, a sinking sensation took hold of her stomach as she saw the scissors and scalpel in her hands.

Thirty minutes afterwards Ashley left the surgery feeling faint and breathless. Although she didn't feel safe to drive, she had no choice. Making it back to the bunker she reached for her phone. She didn't realise she had forgot to take it with her. Looking at the screen she had several voice-mails and missed calls from Dean's phone. "Just me. Just wanted to let you know that we've just got to the motel. Let me know how your appointment goes and tell Dr. Katherine I said hello" he joked. The second was more worried, but the last message he was downright angry. "Why aren't you answering your phone, are you ok?" He asked, panic in his voice. "If you don't answer in the next ten minutes we're packing up right now and driving back home." She glanced at the time, he had left this message seven minutes ago. Without listening to the rest of the voice-mail she hung up, ringing his phone.

As Dean sat on his bed, his fingers twitching with nervous panic as his cell finally started to vibrate. "Where the hell have you been" he almost shouted, reminding himself that he needed to try and calm down. "Sorry, sorry" Ashley apologised on the other end of the phone, "I left my phone at home" she explained. Dean shook his head at her carelessness but the relief washed over his body. "How was Dr. Katherine?" He eventually asked with a jokey tone once he had calmed down. Ever since he had seen the young attractive doctor who had saved his girlfriend's life he had teased Ashley over it, trying to convince her that she was interested in him. "She actually looked pretty disappointed that you weren't there" she told him laughing. They sat in silence for a few moments before Dean asked how the appointment actually went. "Let's just say I wish you were there to hold my hand" Ashley reluctantly replied in a serious tone. This worried Dean, he had been hesitant to miss it but Ashley had all but packed his bags and forced him into the car with his brother. "What's wrong? What happened? Do you need me to come home? I can set off now and be home in a couple of hours." Ashley cut him off suddenly, "No Dean, stay there!" she replied hastily, the speed of her answer making him frown. "I'm alright, honest. We'll talk about it when you get home, it's nothing serious honestly. It was just uncomfortable and I wished you were there to hold my hand. Now go hunt some witches so I can have my boyfriend back" she told him, and he could hear the smile in her voice. Hanging up he threw himself into the research with Sam so that he could get back home.

The witch case in Oklahoma was swiftly solved after a couple of days, and Dean was packed and waiting in the Impala before anyone had even called time of death on the bodies. Sam rolled his eyes, since Ashley had been taken to the hospital a second time he had kept his distance from the pair of them. He could see the hurt in Ashley's eyes when he caught her staring at him, but he didn't acknowledge it. He suddenly felt like he shouldn't be living at the bunker any more. After his realisation that he had been involved in most of their most intimate moments if their relationship he had considered moving out. But he was unsure of where to go. He was used to life in the bunker, having somewhere to call home. He didn't want to go back to living in sleazy motels, and besides it was much more cost efficient to stay in the bunker than pay for motels every night. He considered moving into Bobby's but he immediately shot down the idea. He couldn't bring himself to go and now that the library was emptied, he had no reason too. He could stay at Rufus' cabin in Montana maybe.

As they were driving through the back roads of America Dean noticed how his brother had become inwards, a recluse. He pulled the car over to one side. It was a nice spot with scenic views of a forest. "What is it?" Sam asked, clearly confused at the change of plan. Dean didn't answer, getting out of the Impala and going round to the trunk. He always had a supply of beers, and although they weren't chilled he grabbed two and tossed one to Sam as he was stepping out of the car. He caught it, just. "Let's chill for a bit Sammy" Dean suggested, walking round to lean on the hood of his baby. It was slightly dusty. He hadn't paid much attention to the state of the Impala recently. He patted the hood twice with his free hand, secretly apologising for his lack of attention. Sam popped the lid off of his beer, while carefully eyeing up his older brother. He didn't understand what had changed. One minute he was rushing back home, then a sudden 180 to relaxing before the drive home. "Dean, why did you stop driving?" He eventually asked after taking a long sip on his beer. "What, a guy can't have a beer with his brother?" Dean replied innocently, shrugging his shoulders. Sam stared at him, one eyebrow raised slightly higher than the other. "Come on Dean, we haven't relaxed after a case since you and Ashley got together. What's really going on?" He asked, brutally honest.

"Do you like her Sam?" Dean asked, suddenly realising what he was asking, "I mean do you like her being around? It doesn't bother you." He didn't expect a beer with his brother to turn into such a serious conversation so soon, but he hated the idea of Sam being unhappy with their new way of life. "Of course it doesn't, why would you think that?" He asked, suddenly worried, "does Ashley think that?" Dean shook his head. "If she does she hasn't said anything" he replied, and the conversation lulled. They finished their beers in silence and got back into the Impala, Sam choosing to drive.

After arriving back at the bunker, Dean tossed Sam their bags. "I'm going to give my baby a clean" Dean informed his brother as Sam simply raised one eyebrow at him, which he had been doing a lot recently, before turning his back and walking towards the house. Sam was suddenly nervous, after his and Dean's recent conversation, and then Dean choosing to stay outside, he was worried about what was inside. Ashley was working on something in the kitchen, her back to Sam as he entered through the back door. Hearing his footsteps, she turned round and smiled at him, although she looked nervous. That was probably because he hadn't spoken to her properly in weeks. He returned her awkward smile and noticed that the kitchen was filled with a delicious smell that he couldn't quite place. "What're you making?" He asked her. He noticed that she had almost dropped what she was holding, but turned round to show him a sweet apple pie. It looked different though, and Sam racked his memories to try and remember where he had seen one before. When he finally remembered the memory hit him square in the chest. It was Jessica's favourite thing to make when they lived together at Stanford. A traditional English recipe. She told him she had learnt the recipe from her grandmother, but it had been passed down from generation to generation before her. "Everything ok?" she asked with worry on her face, dragging Sam out of his past. "Sure, it smells great," he told her honestly, dumping the bags and sitting at the kitchen counter on one of the stools Ashley had bought in her efforts to improve the place. As she pottered round in the kitchen he observed how the bunker had changed since her arrival. In some places it was small, unnoticeable. In some area it was more obvious, like the new cushions in the living area. He thought about what his brother had asked. Did he really mind Ashley living with them? In reality, he realised he didn't. It was nice coming home to food on the table and a clean home. It suddenly occurred to him however that he felt like a child. Ashley, although she wasn't trying, mothered both the boys, feeding them, doing their washing. And whereas Dean also had the physical aspect of their relationship, and saw himself as an authority figure, Sam felt like he was their child. Wondering whether it was his fault, that he had let himself slip into this position, Ashley placed a slice of the warm pie in front of him. "There you go Sam, you look like you could use it" she told him after noticing his perplexed expression, also placing a chilled beer on the bench. She smiled at him, but she clearly felt awkward about the whole situation.

"Ashley" Sam called after her as she turned and walked away, "thank you for this" he told her, raw emotion creeping through his voice. "Why don't you sit down too, you look tired" he suggested. They hadn't been alone since the day before she had attempted to move out. As she sat next to him, pulling at her already short fingernails, he realised that maybe the whole reason he was so mad was because she didn't attempt to say goodbye to him. Evidently the same thing was upon Ashley's mind as she turned to face him. "Sam, I know you're upset with me over something. I can't put my finger on why, but please just explain it to me. You were so great during my initial recovery, you were my rock." The realisation was apparent on her face as she finished her sentence. "I'm sorry that I didn't try and thank you, or tell you that I was leaving. I didn't say goodbye because I knew you wouldn't let me go" she tried to explain, still picking at her hands. She was unable to look him in the eyes because she knew if she did she would get over-emotional. Sam placed a hand on hers, "thank you for apologising" he told her, and she glanced up at him. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. "We don't have to go into details and talk about our emotions, don't worry" he added, and he saw the relief wash over her body. She leaned over and placed her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Sam was right, she was tired. "I'm going for to go have a lie down" she finally told him, "enjoy your pie Sammy." Leaning in she kissed his cheek innocently and left the room. He smiled to himself.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 27**

Dean wiped his hands on the navy blue overalls. He was covered in oil but patting his baby on the hood he knew it was worth it. He had worked on her for well over two hours and it was starting to get dark out when he returned back to the bunker. He noticed Sam sitting in the living area watching the TV, something he rarely did. And an amazing smell in the kitchen. "Ashley made pie" Sam told his brother, as if he was reading his mind, "she's gone for a lie down though" he added at the end. Trying to walk silently upstairs he opened his door ever so slightly. Ashley was lying on her stomach, the way the doctors had told her not too. He sighed, shaking his head. She was so determined to look after herself, so stubborn. It suddenly hit him that she had gotten this trait from Bobby. Undressing quietly and changing into some clean clothes he smiled at how peaceful she looked lying on the bed. Her hair was sprawled around her head, the red flecks in her hair caused by the light in the corridor. She let out a sigh and rolled over in the bed, her eyes flickering. Gently sitting on the bed next to her he stroked her hair, leaning in and kissing her cheek before exiting the room silently. It took a few moments for Ashley to wake up but she put her hand onto her cheek, sure someone had been in the room. She smiled and lay back down, closing her eyes once more.

When she finally awoke properly, she dressed and went downstairs. Both boys were sat at the kitchen counter and only a quarter of her pie was left uneaten. "Is the pie all you two have eaten?" she asked, lightly scolding them both. "Just because I cook all of your meals doesn't mean you have to be lazy" she told them, who both just smiled at her. After helping herself to a small slice the three of them moved into the living area, where they settled in front of the TV. Sam flicked through the controls of the TV that Ashley had bought them all, with an included programme recorder. It was mainly for herself, since they boys had been away so much, but they had all grown to using it now. Especially Dean. "Whose been recording Dr Sexy?" Sam asked, smirking. Dean looked at the pair of them, expecting Ashley to fess up for him. "Don't look at me," she replied laughing at Dean's expression of mock betrayal. "It's a guilty pleasure ok" Dean finally said in defence. Ashley laughed, she could tolerate his bad choice in TV. After settling on a recent comedy film that had been recorded by Sam, the three of them sat in silent bliss, finally enjoying each other's company without one of the three feeling awkward.

After the credits rolled, Sam stood up stretching. "Right well I'm off to bed. I'll see you two tomorrow" he informed them before walking up the stairs to his room. Ashley laid her head on Dean's shoulder, her eyes looking up to his face. "Hi" he muttered to her, grinning. He was glad to be home. "Hi yourself," Ashley replied returning his grin. Dean yawned, a rare occurrence. "Let's get you to bed too" Ashley noted, taking his hand. One the pair of them were ready for bed and slipped under the sheets Dean ran his hands over Ashley's stomach, tenderly lifting her shirt. "They took the stitches out" he observed, "you should have told them to wait until I had gotten back." She shrugged her shoulders, pulling her shirt down so she didn't have to look at the ugly marks. "I didn't know how long you would be, besides I was ok in the end" she told him, although she still wished she had let him come in the first place. "Did you enjoy the pie?" she asked trying to change the subject. A huge, childlike grin spread across Dean's face, "I think it's my new favourite type of pie" he replied. He reached to turn out the light but Ashley stopped him, her faces inches away from his. "Don't turn off the light just yet" she whispered, leaning in and kissing him. He returned her soft sweet kisses, and desire grew between them. He let out a low groan as she pushed her body against his. It was their first act of intimacy since the incident with the shifter, before the pregnancy scandal, before it all. The two drifted off feeling content, smiles upon their faces.

Chapter 28

Both Ashley and Dean awoke suddenly, startled. A dark figure was standing at the edge of Dean's bed. Ashley was still groggy, half asleep. She didn't know if what she was seeing was real. The minute Dean woke up he was switched on, hunter mode taking over. The shotgun under his bed, the demon knife in his bedside table drawer. But he could swear he recognised the figure. Shotgun aimed and ready, he flicked on the lamp beside his bed, filling every corner of his room with a dim white light. Ashley clamped her eyes together, not used to the brightness. When she opened them the figure was gone, and she thought she had simply been her imagination playing tricks on her. But Dean's proved otherwise. He threw the bedcovers off him, opening the bedroom door and looking into the corridor. She could have sworn she had heard him say "Cas?"

Pulling the covers off of her and collecting her discarded clothes from the night before, Ashley chased after Dean. He was frantic, looking in every room, from the library to the basement, to every secret panic room he had shown Ashley on her tour. "Dean, come on sit down. Whoever it was they've gone" she told him, putting her hand on his arm. Leading him to the living quarters she told him to sit on the sofa. She grabbed two cold beers, a small glass, and a bottle of 'hunter's helper' as Dean called it. Passing him the bottle and glass she went up to Sam's room.

Gently opening the door she flicked on his light. Groaning, Sam sat up, his face confused. "I need you to come help" Ashley told him, "I'll explain everything later" she added, leaving his room. Minutes later Sam, now appropriately dressed, joined Ashley and Dean. Seeing an extra beer on the table he assumed it was his, taking the lid off. No one spoke, Ashley and Sam staring at Dean, now on to his fifth glass. "Does anyone want to explain what happened?" Sam finally asked. Ashley's expression was confused, she clearly didn't know much more than he did. Dean poured himself another glass, and after drinking it in one swift movement he finally looked at his little brother.

"Cas was here" he told Sam, seriousness heavy in his voice. "Cas?" Sam asked, and for a minute Ashley wondered if she wasn't the only person to know who this Cas was. She was proved wrong when Sam asked, "are you sure?" Dean explained the story of how he woke up, hearing the loud flutter of wings. Apparently this had been his trademark sound, but Ashley realised that she didn't actually hear it herself. It must have been Dean's movements that woke her up. He told Sam of how he had turned the light on to see a Cas, in a suite and trench-coat. Again, Ashley realised she hadn't seen anyone. She had closed her eyes as soon as the light filled the room. When she opened them, the figure was gone. In fact, she wasn't even sure she had seen a figure. She had just woken up, if Dean hadn't have acted so erratically she wouldn't have thought anything of it and probably just closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

"And he just disappeared?" Sam asked after Dean had finished explaining the events. Dean simply nodded, pouring himself another glass. Ashley realised that she hadn't even touched her beer. Her hands were shaking but she didn't know why she was so panicked. Dean noticed too, and he put one hand on hers. Not one of the brothers explained who this Cas was, if it was dangerous. She doubted Dean would chase around the bunker looking for a dangerous monster, shouting after it. After a while of siting in silence, the two brothers lost in their own thoughts, Ashley let out a small yawn. "I think I'm going to go back to bed," she said. Dean looked at her, "ok, I'll be back up soon." She stood up and left the room, as the brothers whispered to each other frantically. As soon as her head hit the pillow she instantly fell asleep, realising how exhausted she was.

Slowly waking up, Ashley glanced at the time. 9:23 am. Dean had not come back to bed. She couldn't decide if she was more worried about the secrecy of last night and that he hadn't been back to bed or frustrated by it. She got out of bed and showered. When she walked back into the room it was clear that Dean had been in as the bed was now made. He was no-where to been seen. After slowly drying her hair and dressing, she walked down the stairs. Both brothers were dressed, sitting in the open plan living quarter with adjoining kitchen, separated by a counter. Walking down the stairs, she walked past the pair of them, ignoring their stares, into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, they were running low on groceries. Grabbing the keys of the Impala from the hook by the back door, she left through the back door of the kitchen. Neither Sam nor Dean questioned where she was going, although Dean was concerned.

Pulling into the parking lot of their local grocery store she stepped out of the car. For some unknown reason she felt her eyes scan her surroundings, as if she was being watched. Noticing that nothing was out of place she ignored the feeling. Apart from that, her trip to the store was normal. Driving back to the bunker she was sure she saw a man in a trench coat by the side of the road, but after shaking her head and looking in her rear view mirror he was gone. Was it possible she had seen him or was she just paranoid? She wasn't sure.

Pulling onto the gravel driveway she cut the engine and grabbed the grocery bags from the trunk. Sam must have heard the engine and opened the door just as she was closing the trunk. "I thought I heard you" he said as Ashley just nodded in his direction, walking straight past him. Sam frowned, confused at what had upset her so much. As she walked through the back door into the kitchen, Dean was sat at the counter, although the glass of liquor was replaced with water. "Glad to see you've stopped drinking" she said icily, starting to unpack the grocery bags. Sam shrugged his shoulders behind her back, signalling to Dean that he was unsure what was going on too. "Everything alright?" Dean questioned, concern etched in his voice but it was clear he was frightened of setting her off. "Sure" she answered, sarcasm thick in her voice, "I mean I got woke up by my boyfriend having a panic attack, saw some dark figure at the end of my bed, watched you chase it around aimlessly. Then you didn't come back to bed when you said you would, I'm pretty sure this thing is following me, and oh yeah, no one is telling me what the hell is going on!" By the end of her sentence she realised that she had begun shouting, and both Sam and Dean were staring at each other in shock. She wasn't finished, "but don't worry boys its fine. I only live with you both, take care of you both. Do I get as much as a thank you, no! I cook you food, do you're washing, but Hey don't let me in on all your little secrets. It's fine. I'm going to my room, don't either of you dare follow me!" storming up the stairs between the dining and living area she suddenly remembered, "and if those groceries aren't put away by the time I come down there's going to be big trouble!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 29**

Ashley flopped onto her bed and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. She wasn't even sure why she was so angry with Sam and Dean, she just needed some space away from them both. Downstairs the brothers were silent. Dean was reluctant to follow her, even though Sam was trying to persuade him. "Sam, listen if you want to go up there then be my guest. But take it from me, when she's in a mood like this it's safer to keep your distance." As he spoke he rubbed the back of his head subconsciously, remembering the last time they'd had an argument like this. She'd thrown Bobby's journal at him as he turned round to leave the room. He couldn't remember what the argument was about, but maybe that was because of the head injury he had sustained! "Well someone has to go talk to her" Sam said. He still didn't understand why Dean was so reluctant to go up there, but at the same time he wasn't going to sacrifice himself to her wrath.

Ashley stayed holed up in her room all night, despite the objections of her empty stomach. Not one of the boys had tried to come and talk to her, smooth things out. She was still no further forward on finding out who this 'Cas' was, even though she had spent all day trying to research. The radio silence was becoming more and more frustrating. After a long day trapped in her room she drifted off to sleep, doubts filling her head that Dean would be by her side in the morning. She found herself awake suddenly at around 2am, her light still on bright, filling the room. Dean was nowhere to be seen but her stomach began to protest so she finally ventured downstairs. The house was dark. Both boys must have turned in for the night. The dim glow of the moon outside shone through the kitchen window, filling it with a dull light. She took a glass from the cupboard, filling it with tap water. Turning round to lean her back against the cool kitchen counter, a dark figure obstructed her view. She dropped her glass with shock, water and glass shattering as they collided with the kitchen tiles.

Dean sat upright, waking suddenly. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, fully clothed and on top of the covers. He was planning on sneaking into Ashley's room to smooth things over, she'd been in there all day. He shot out of bed, running down the stairs and flicking on the light. The kitchen was empty but a smashed glass was strewn across the floor. Dean sprinted up the stairs and burst into Ashley's room. The light was still on, her bed unmade. Sam had joined him in all the commotion. "She's missing" Dean told his brother, "Something's got her Sammy." Sam's expression was puzzled. "But how Dean? This place is every type of monster proof, we're off the map." Dean punched the wall, his eyes wild as he turned to his brother. "Well obviously we're not." Dean searched every corner of the bunker, ever the grounds outside. All the cars were parked in the garage. Meanwhile Sam attempted to access the GPS on her cellphone. The screen of his laptop simply flashed location out of service.

Dean paced around the bunker. He was torn between going out and looking for Ashley, and waiting here in case she returned. They had no leads on what had taken here, or where she had been taken too for that matter. Sam could tell that his brother was about to blow. He wasn't handling the pressure very well. Excusing himself, he walked upstairs to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Closing his eyes tightly he began to pray. "Castiel if you're alive, please, we need your help. Come on Cas, we really need you" he finished. Opening his eyes it was no luck, the bathroom remained empty but Dean's voice filled the bunker. "Sam" he shouted, as Sam rushed down the stairs to sight of an angel wearing a trademark suite and trench-coat. "Sam, Dean, it's good to see you again" Castiel stated in his usual monotone voice.

**Chapter 30**

"Cas, how are you alive right now?" Sam asked, taken aback. Dean couldn't move, he just stared helplessly at the lost friend in front of him. "Truthfully, I don't know." Castiel replied, "I'm not sure who brought me back" he added. "Dean, you look like you're going into shock. Are you alright?" the angel asked. Dean didn't know what to say or do. "Did you take her?" was the only words that he could muster. Castiel shook his head, "you mean the woman you were with last night? No, that wasn't me. I believe it was a demon" Castiel explained. Dean turned away from the angel, away from his brother. "Dammit Cas, I thought we'd gotten away from all this angel and demons crap." Taking a moment to calm down and breathe, he finally asked "where is she? Do you know?" trying to keep calm and collected as he could. Cas closed his eyes, deep in concentration. When Dean turned around he had vanished. "Well that's just great" Dean said as Sam remained silent. "He'll be back Dean," he reassured his older brother, although he wasn't all that convinced himself. Sam sat on the sofa as Dean paced the living quarters for what seemed like hours, waiting for Cas to return. Finally he reappeared. "They've taken her to an empty warehouse in Maine, she is unharmed but they're waiting for you both to turn up" he informed the brothers. "Do you know why?" Dean asked impatiently, "why did they take her, she has nothing to do with any of this." Castiel sighed, an apologetic look in his eyes. "I'm afraid they know I'm alive. They've acquired the woman to use as bait to attract the two of you. They're hoping that I will assist you on your hunt and they can capture me." Anger rose in Dean's chest, making his shake violently. "So that's just great, they've taken Ashley god knows where so that they can catch themselves a Cas. And we're going to have to go get her. They've basically got us by the short and curlys here" Dean exclaimed.

**Chapter 31**

Ashley's scream pierced through the air as the knife sliced through her skin. "I told you, I don't even know who Castiel is" she panted. The demon sighed, walking slowly around the wooden chair that Ashley was restrained too. "I've told you princess, the sooner you talk, the sooner you get to leave" the demon retorted, repeatedly banging the blade of the knife sideways against her cheek. The cool metal on her warm skin made her shiver involuntarily as the demons eyes flickered from human to pure black. It lips twisted into a cruel smile, slapping Ashley with the back of its hand. Frightened but determined to stay strong, Ashley spat into the demons face. "Bite me" she retorted, something Dean often said. As the demon wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket, he let out a low growl which contorted into a menacing laugh. "Well you just sit tight sweetheart, I'm sure they'll be here soon." With that the demon pushed Ashley's chair backwards until it hit the floor. Hitting her head against the hard cold concrete her consciousness slipped from underneath her.

Back at the bunker Dean headed to the Impala. Sam looked at his brother confused. "Dean, it'll take hours to drive to Maine, just let Cas zap us there with his angel juice" he suggested. Dean felt stupid, he hadn't even thought of that. His sole focus was getting to Ashley as fast as he could. "Fine" Dean sulked, "just go gentle on us" he warned Cas. It had been a long time since Cas had transported the pair of them anywhere. Dean blinked and when he opened his eyes his surroundings had shifted. Instead of facing the outside of the bunker, the tall building that put off outsiders, the two brothers and their angel were outside of a deserted looking warehouse. Within seconds of appearing a flock of demons had begun to circle the three men, as Dean pulled out his knife. Stabbing the first demon in the chest, the meat-suite of a corporate lawyer, the orange glow flickering in the demons face as it left its body gave Dean great satisfaction. Sam also took down a demon, the angel blade his weapon of choice. Suddenly the area was filled with a pure white light, as Castiel laid his hands on two of the demons foreheads, sending them straight back to hell. "Alright, now let's go gank this SOB" Dean said, wiping the blood off of his knife.

Sliding the heavy door, Dean saw Ashley sat upright on a wooden chair, leather binding her hands and feet. His eyes scanned the warehouse, totally empty apart from the single wooden chair. He ran over to her, the other two would cover him if any more attacked. Her head was heavy, facing the floor and she appeared to be unconscious. As soon as he placed his hands on her face Ashley's head snapped up, her eyes jet black and cold. "Well howdy Dean, I knew you'd make it to the party."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 32**

"You get the hell out of her, you son of a bitch" Dean growled as the demons mouth contorted into a grim smile. "I love it when you get feisty like that Dean" Ashley's retorted, her voice sounding different, stronger and more confident. Ashley pulled her wrists out of the restraints, standing up. She routed Dean to the spot with the wave of her hand, and began to slowly circle him. All three were stunned, not expecting this scenario when they entered the warehouse. Sam began to chant the incantation for a demon exorcism but suddenly Ashley raised her arms, pushing both Sam and Castiel to the wall with an invisible force. They were left suspended in mid-air, helpless. Dean furrowed his brow, trying to move.

"You're wondering how I got in here huh?" she asked, slowly circling Dean. "Those anti-possession tattoos are all well and good. That is until we get the chance to peel them off of your bones. You should have heard the screams" she told him grinning. Dean balled up his fists. He was powerless. The demon had him exactly where he wanted him. "You know, its cosy inside here, I don't think I wanna leave just yet" Ashley's voice filled the warehouse. "And the thoughts she had about you two. Wow if only you knew what goes through her head!"

"Just leave her out of his" Dean growled at her, "she has nothing to do with this. It's us that you want." Ashley leaned in close to Dean, putting one finger over his mouth. "You're right Dean; she hasn't got anything to do with this. But you make it so easy. I mean you bring it on yourself really. I mean you really didn't learn your lesson?" she shook her head. "You should know by now that if we can't get precious Sammy, we're going to go for the girl"

Sam felt himself suspended useless, watching the scene play out. He could see the pain in Dean's body language, the guilt was overpowering him. Castiel was likewise suspended, a couple of feet away from him. Sam noticed that he was trying to observe the demon, see how to deal with it no doubt. "Come on, I mean all the people we've had killed to hurt you two. Your mommy, your daddy. What with Joe and Ellen, Lisa and Ben, even dear old uncle Bobby, I'm surprised at your two boys. Don't you know that the less people you have surrounding your lives, the less people you have to hurt. And here you bring a sweet innocent girl into it." the demon explained, patting Dean's cheek. She then began to walk away from Dean, still routed on the spot. Making it's way over to Castiel it explained "ah now here's my favourite angel. Meet Ashley, the girl who didn't even know what you where, never mind where you were hiding. I still enjoyed torturing her for the information though" she added, winking at Sam. "Why are you doing this?" Castiel asked in a straightforward manner. Anger flicked across Ashley's face. "Why do you think Castiel? Did you really think that we wouldn't come back for revenge eventually?" Looking towards Dean she waved her fist, causing him to fly through the air, landing in a heap by her feet.

"She loves the power Dean, in fact she's begging me not to leave her" she stated, raising an eyebrow and pursing her lips. "It's all here, inside her head. Come on, ask me anything. I promise I won't lie" she retorted, winking at him. He was still on the floor, his whole body aching from the impact. Ashley leaned over his hunched body, grinning in a sinister fashion. "Fine, you don't want to find out what's really going on inside your girlfriends head. We'll make this short then shall we. Time for the real reason you're here. You killed hundreds of my brothers and sisters, Castiel over there made things worse when he showed up. So first, I'm going to strip this little princess limb from limb while you watch, since she's the most important person in your tiny little insignificant lives. And then, after that I'm going to kill you both, so Cas over there can watch me kill his two favourite pets. When I'm through with you two monkeys then I'm saving the best for last." Finishing her monologue she pulled out an angel blade from behind her, waving it about. "So any last words before I begin the show?" she asked, raising the angel blade above her head and then plunging it into Ashley's chest. "No!" Dean cried, fighting the invisible choke hold that the demon had over him. Dean tried to stand, to get to Ashley, as Sam began to recite the incantation again. Ashley was scarred now either way, but Sam didn't want her to suffer any longer than she had too.

Ashley laughed, however her throat began to tighten as she spat grey smoke from her mouth. "Enough" she shouted, raising one arm and closing her fist as if she were strangling an animal. Sam's airway became narrower, the words barely able to come out. He glanced at his brother, Dean needed to finish the incantation but he was visibly falling to pieces in front of Sam's eyes. Castiel saw the plea in Sam's eyes as he began to lose consciousness. He had not performed an exorcism in a long time, and was unsure whether he would get the words right, but as Sam was unfit to do so and Dean was falling apart he had no other choice. Finishing the exorcism, Ashley's body slumped to the floor as the demon discarded her. The chokehold that the demon had over both Sam and Castiel vanished and they both fell to the floor. Sam gasped for air as Dean stood up and ran over to Ashley, her shirt soaked in her own blood. After removing the angel blade he rocked her in his arms as he tried to stop the bleeding. Her eyes opened briefly, deep brown pools of emotion barring into him. "Dean," she whispered. He took one of her hands, cradling her face with the other. "I'm here" he told her, trying to keep his voice strong. "You're going to be ok" he told her as her breathing slowed. She smiled dreamily, her eyes closing once again. "Ashley? Ash?" Dean shouted. By this time Sam had recovered and had rushed over to the scene, kneeling beside his brother. "I can't find a pulse" Sam told his older brother, and they both turned to look at Cas. He looked bewildered, like he was a lost child. "What are you waiting for, do something" Dean shouted at him, bringing him out of his trance. Castiel leaned down, placing two of his fingers on her head. Immediately Ashley's chest started to rise and fall but her pulse was still weak. Castiel warned the two brothers "my healing powers aren't what they used to be, this might not hold." Dean managed to get the words out, "what do you mean, this might not hold?" he asked. But Castiel had vanished in front of both Sam and Dean's eyes, the warehouse now silent and empty.


End file.
